The Want Ad
by MadSoullessQueen
Summary: Wanted: One very nice, intelligent, cleaning fanatic to take care of one cranky, orderly, and work obsessed man in a wheelchair. Free room and board, 5,000 Jewels a week. Contact Mest for interview, 456-555-8898 A simple ad until the person who answers is Lucy and the person who needs help is Lahar. Can love heal all wounds? Post Tartaros, Lahar x Lucy, Rated M for future citrus.
1. Answering the Ad

_Wanted: One very nice, intelligent, cleaning fanatic to take care of one cranky, orderly, and work obsessed man in a wheelchair. Free room and board, 5,000 Jewels a week. Contact Mest for interview, 456-555-8898_

"That's the ad?" the plump lady behind the window said and Mest nodded.

"That's pretty much it, does it need a little pizzazz?" he asked, grinning at her and hoping to maybe make this sour puss smile a little. She rolled her eyes and stamped the little blue card before asking him for the printing fee. He dug through his Rune Knight uniform and found his wallet, carefully pulling out the few bills and pausing for a second to look at the little picture behind the clear plastic.

It was a picture of Lahar and himself, they were in their dress uniforms, holding the rolled diplomas and both grinning in front of the Rune Knight Academy building. One of the last times Lahar had a real smile on his face, he'd trade that in for a scowl. The scowl only deepened when he became the youngest Captain ever appointed to the Enforcement Squad. Yet through everything, Mest could only see the young and smiling man in the slightly faded picture.

Mest paid the woman and turned to leave the building, it was the only personal stop he had to make today before the grocery store and then heading back to Lahar's house.

Era survived the events six months ago with new buildings replacing old ones and citizens now carrying on with their normal lives. The skyline was forever changed when the demons of Tartaros had blown up the Magic Council building before they started their vicious plans against magic and the people of Fiore.

Kids were back to playing in parks, people went to work and families were reunited. Life in Era was calm again and even the sun was shining over the bustling city. It was as if nothing had happened, that was life.

The only thing in Era that hadn't gone back to a normal daily life was Captain Lahar. He was in the building when it had exploded and though he lived through it, nothing was the same. The Captain was now confined to a wheelchair, stuck on permanent desk duty, and doing physical therapy three times a week.

Mages with healing magic tried to repair the damage but the Captain could still not walk. They blamed it on the fact that the damage was caused by something called Curse and magical damage was much more difficult to repair than normal injuries. The doctors said the surgeries were successful and his inability to walk was due to spinal trauma and that would take a while to heal but therapy would help. Though one doctor questioned Lahar's mental state and that had turned into a screaming match that left Lahar quiet and his pride hurting for days.

Mest was tired of all of it, he wanted his friend back. He could see Lahar drown in his own misery a little more every day. Every time Lahar looked up at the stairs to the Rune Knight Headquarters, he would sigh before wheeling himself to the new ramp they had to install. Rune Knights still whispered behind his back, and Mest knew that Lahar had heard them all. Even the people who kept calling him a headcase.

Fine, maybe Lahar was a headcase, but that wasn't any of their business. They weren't there when the Captain woke up screaming from nightmares of reliving the incident. They weren't there every time he gritted his teeth and tried for one more step with the therapist. They weren't there when he would sit in a dark living room and drink himself to blotto before crying into his hands. Fuck those people.

Mest walked by a group of young men who were laughing and enjoying the sunshine while trading stories of hot girls. Even something as simple as taking a walk with Lahar, was now impossible. People stared at him, his wheelchair would get stuck on something or stairs would be in their way. The more people pitied the Captain, the more he withdrew into himself.

"Lahar would kill me," he whispered as he walked into the small grocery store to pick up a few items he remembered. He knew his best friend would kill him for throwing another mental pity party for him. Lahar just wanted his life back and so did Mest.

He was just tired of taking care of Lahar. It didn't mean he no longer cared about his best friend, just that he wanted his own life back. Didn't want to get up early in the morning to be there if Lahar needed help. Didn't want to be trapped in the office till late at night or to see his friend lose it a little more each day. Lahar needed a caretaker and Mest was not the right guy for it. Not anymore. Not since he had to come clean about who he really is.

He stayed on with the Rune Knights instead of heading back to Fairy Tail because of Lahar. He owed the man so much and just could not give up, but he was at his wits end. Mest picked up the eggs, milk, cereal and bread before stopping and deciding on a bottle of whiskey. Perhaps he could hide this one from the Captain.

Deciding to hurry up and get back, Mest teleported back to the small light grey single story house. He saw the newspaper on the door step and grabbed it before checking the black iron mail box that was now too high for Lahar to reach. He should move that down, perhaps tomorrow.

As he entered the house, he saw Lahar sitting on the couch, with his navy blanket over his legs and reading a book. His wheelchair was tipped over and Mest said nothing as he walked over and lifted it back up, careful to lock the wheels so Lahar could get into it easier.

"Hey Lahar, how was your day?" he asked.

"Uneventful, did you receive my text message?" He asked as his amethyst eyes didn't move off the book he was reading.

"Heh," Mest shrugged as he walked into the brown, white and copper kitchen. He put the bags and mail on the counter before he pulled out his personal device. There was a text reminder from Lahar about picking up eggs and to not buy the kids cereal. Mest chuckled as he looked at the brightly colored box of Fruit Loops.

"Well too bad, guess you're stuck with Fruit Loops, it was on sale," he said to no response. Mest put away the groceries, looking at the almost empty fridge and realizing he should have done a bigger shopping trip. After that he sorted through the mail and hid the whiskey in one of the cabinets above the empty sink.

"You remembered to get whiskey at least," Lahar said as he turned the page before putting the red ribbon back in the book and setting it down. The Captain removed the blanket and reached for the wheelchair.

Mest watched and waited, he knew if Lahar wanted help he would ask. One thing he knew for certain was that he should not just up and do things for Lahar. That would only make him crankier and set the usually stoic and quiet man off. Lahar managed to get himself in the wheelchair without assistance and Mest took a seat in the recliner, making sure to put the sorted mail on the wooden coffee table.

Now all he had to do was spend the next week, answering phone calls and finding the right caretaker. Though as he heard Lahar grumble about something, he knew it was going to be a very long week and he should probably start by telling Lahar about the ad.

* * *

Lucy needed a steady job; the freelance gig was pretty much hit or miss. When she could sell an article, she was doing okay but when she couldn't, she was barely scraping by. Her novel was still being written, re-written, edited, and written again. She just couldn't concentrate on writing a love story when her own love life was non-existent.

It had been six months since Fairy Tail disbanded and everyone went their own directions. Freed tried to convince her to join Blue Pegasus, but Lucy was not ready to give up on her guild. Yukino wanted her to join Sabertooth but Lucy declined for the same reasons she gave to Freed. She wanted to follow Natsu but he needed the time to heal from Igneel's death and find his strength again. Though she wished he could at least write to her, just something so she knew he was okay.

Instead she applied as a freelance reporter for _Sorcerer's Weekly_ and would take a random job from the Rune Knight Bounty Board. That only lasted a short while when the last bounty had turned into a total disaster and she was banned from the agency. Now all she could do was check in with Jason and practically beg him for anything, even fluff pieces on celebrity mages.

Well she hadn't gone as far as to pose for one of the pin-ups but as she looked at her bank account, she was considering it. Instead she sat on her living room floor and looked over the wanted ads. Lucy needed something soon, because her new landlord was stricter than her previous one. Living in Era was a pain in the butt, but this is where she was closest to her job and she needed to get out of Magnolia.

As she looked through the ads, with her pink highlighter hanging out of her mouth, she saw a bolded one and couldn't believe her eyes. Free room and board? 5,000 Jewels a week and all she had to do was take care of a guy in a wheelchair? Lucy could easily do that and have time during the day to work on her novel or doing writing for Jason. She could save some serious Jewels.

She got up from the dense white carpet and massaged her sore ass while making her way to the phone. Lucy dialed the number and almost dropped the phone when she heard the voice at the end of it.

"This is Mest, are you calling about the ad?" he asked, his voice a bit rushed with a little annoyance to it.

"Doranbolt?" she asked.

"Who is this?"

Lucy smiled, "Lucy Heartfilia."

She could hear a whistle at the other end of the line, "I remember you, can you come by, like right now?" He sounded a bit more cheerful, which she considered was a good sign.

"Where are you?"

"Rune Knight Headquarters, ask for Mest Gryder."

Lucy wrote down the location on the wanted ads in big pink loopy letters. "Huh?"

"Long story, Lucy but I can fill you in on the details later," he hung up and Lucy set down the phone. That conversation was odd, and she had no idea what the hell was going on. Though if he had a job for her, she'd call him King of Fiore for all she cared.

Lucy pulled herself together, keeping her makeup light and her outfit a simple pink summer dress with matching sandals. She had been sporting her hair down recently, but Era was like Hell's oven, so she tied it up with a big red bow. Figuring she looked respectful enough, she grabbed her keys and purse and with a spring in her step hoped to find a new job.

It took about twenty minutes at a decent move speed to make it to the headquarters, the large building a bit imposing. She saw Rune Knights and random people walk in and out, some with smiles and some in tears. One couple she passed were crying their hearts out over the loss of some personal items taken in a robbery. Lucy knew what that felt like and her heart sympathized with them. She ignored a couple whistles by a few passing Rune Knights and walked straight into the cooler building.

The main lobby was busy with the beautiful white marble floor, scuffed up in dirt tracks. Large high desks in dark wood sat against the far wall as three Rune Knights were busy handling the lines of citizens. She went for the desk to the far left; the line looked a little shorter.

As she stood there, trying to ignore the guy behind her who seemed to not understand hygiene or personal space, she heard a voice call her name.

"Lucy!" She turned and looked, seeing Doranbolt – Mest – waving and smiling at her. He was in his blue Rune Knight uniform with his raven black hair a bit longer than before, a tired smile on his lips and green eyes sparkling in probably too much caffeine.

"Excuse me," she whispered as she ducked out of the line and headed over to the man. Lucy held out her hand to him, "it's been a while, how are you?"

"Better, oh thank my lucky stars you answered the ad. I couldn't deal with any more interviews." He grinned at her and quickly snatched her hand before pulling her down a long corridor.

"Hey, hang on," she said with a light giggle. She'd never seen him quite so enthusiastic. Then again, she had only met him a small handful of times, but at least he was a familiar face.

"No time, come on, I have got to get this settled. I would like to have a date tonight," he looked over his shoulder and grinned at her. Lucy rolled her eyes and quickened her steps to keep up.

They stopped in front of a frosted glass and wood door and Mest whirled around on her. He eyed her for a moment and then smiled, "perfect. Okay so be your lovable self but take no shit from him."

"Wait, what if I don't like him?" she asked.

Mest ran a hand through his hair, his expression darkening. "Lahar is a good guy…"

"Wait! Lahar. Captain Lahar? Pain in my ass, trying to get my team thrown into prison, Lahar?" She said as she took two steps back and crossed her arms over her chest. There was no way in hell she was dealing with that pretentious and stupidly good-looking Rune Knight.

Lahar had been nice to her precisely once and that was after she almost died. Though with the shock and the pain meds she didn't completely recall the night he spent with her in the hospital. Just that he talked to her for a while and when she woke up the next day, he had fallen asleep by her bed and she had his cloak draped over her. Though one moment of being nice doesn't make up for all the times he yelled at or threatened her team with jail time.

"Lucy, please, just five minutes. If you don't like what I have to say, then you can go."

She eyed him wearily, "five minutes and you're giving me cab fare back to my apartment?" at the very least she could get a few Jewels out of wasting her time today. She had a real job to find.

Mest let out a breath, "okay deal. Look, Lahar was hurt in the Magic Council building explosion. He can't walk, we've tried everything. I've been taking care of him for months now and…" He paused, pursed his lips and his shoulders drooped a little, "I can't anymore. Lahar needs someone who isn't me. The doctors or healers don't think this is just a physical thing any more. He's dying inside, Lucy and I can't save my best friend."

Her heart broke, she knew that pain he was feeling. She felt the same way about Natsu, she couldn't be there to help him when he needed her most. When it's someone you love, it's harder to see them down a dark path and know that you can only go so far, if you get to go at all. Mest was barely holding it together, she could see that now and here she was a somewhat familiar face he felt he could trust with his best friend. Lucy knew her list of people she would trust to take care of Natsu if anything happened to her, would also be small.

Lucy took his hand and looked up into his eyes. She noticed the heavy dark circles under them and the lines on his forehead that come when brows knit together too often in worry. "Alright, I'll try. That's all I can do."

Mest pulled her into a hug, he kept whispering "thank you," as he damn near crushed her against his chest. Lucy returned the affection and slowly rubbed his back as she tried to reassure him that it was going to be okay. What he was going through and dealing with was not easy on anyone, and though she had barely a fraction of the story, all the pain was written on his face and heard in every word he spoke.

It took a few minutes for Mest to compose himself before he gave her a big grin and led her into the office.

"Mest, where have you been?" a stern and sharp voice said.

"Hey, good news Lahar. I found someone to help you around the house. She can cook, is very intelligent and one of the nicest people in Fiore." Mest stepped to the side and gently took Lucy's bare arm, making her step forward.

The office was stuffy but clean, everything was in its place and she could tell where the cleaning stopped by the lines of dust on the cherry wood bookcases. The walls were mostly a bare, a basic bitch cream color only broken up by a couple framed accommodations. Lahar's desk was almost in the dead center of the room and as he came around the solid wood structure, she understood why. Least he had room to navigate in the black and silver wheelchair.

"Excuse me?" He asked as he looked right at Mest, Lucy was feeling completely ignored and that might be okay. She had the impression that Mest may have forgotten to let Lahar know about putting out an ad for a caretaker.

"Crap," he mumbled, "hey Lucy can you give us a moment?"

"Sure," she said, using her best smile and trying to not upset the applecart any further. Lucy ducked out of the room and gently pulled the door shut before she leaned up against it and let out a breath.

* * *

"Do you have any idea who that was?" Lahar asked as he pushed up his glasses. He was agitated by the sudden intrusion, let alone the knowledge that his so-called best friend had decided to find him a caretaker.

He did not need a caretaker, only needed someone to help him with things he could not physically manage on his own. Lahar was in a wheelchair, not a complete invalid and he detested being thought of as weak. Let alone, someone from the most destructive team of legal mages in all of Fiore. Was Mest trying to have him murdered? Wasn't the explosion and this infernal contraption enough for one life time?

"Lucy Heartfilia," Mest replied as he took a seat on the edge of his desk. Lahar opened his mouth when Mest put a gloved hand up and let out a very audible sigh. "You need someone to help you. I can't do it all the time Lahar. I am your friend, but I need my own life too."

Lahar gripped the wheels of his chair, his arms trembling slightly in his ratcheting anxiety. "You should have said something, not just shown up with one of the most destructive people in Fiore."

"Her team was, but remember Lucy always went out of her way to try and control collateral damage or get people to safety. Remember when you met her at the Grand Magic Games?"

Lahar blinked and let go of the wheels as he put his hands in his lap. He studied his white gloved fingers for a moment, trying to remember what Mest was talking about. This could take a few seconds or a few minutes, his memory had a few problems since the explosion.

"Does this help? You talked to her after Minerva tried to kill her in the Naval battle. When she was in the hospital."

He searched his memory for that and could see bits of it. Lahar remembered the smell of the hospital, the way her hair was in knots against the white pillow. How she smiled at him and tried to talk to him, though it was clear that each breath was painful for her. He remembered holding a brush and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You can sleep, I'll keep you safe," he whispered.

Mest nodded, "I was outside the door, the whole night. I heard everything Lahar. You two talked, you laughed with her. You brushed her hair, called her beautiful, and then yeah, you didn't move from her side the whole night."

"I barely remember, I bet she hardly remembers either. They had her on some very strong painkillers," as he said the word, Lahar looked away. He remembered the feel of her lips, the taste of the strawberry jello and how her large brown eyes glittered even under horrible fluorescent lighting.

"Yeah, I knew about that too." Mest said and Lahar was grateful that he had not said the last little fragment out loud. "She lost everyone dear to her, Fairy Tail disbanded and her team is scattered to the wind. Even if it's just holes in both your memories, maybe this is fate setting things right again."

"I was only doing my job, that night Mest. You're reading into things," he said as he studied a non-existent spot on the simple light grey linoleum floor.

Mest got off his desk and walked over to him, he leaned down and put his hands on the black armrests. Their noses were almost touching, "your job was to get a statement. You had her statement in precisely ten minutes. You and me by proxy, stayed for seven hours. Don't rewrite your own fucking history because it's inconvenient to the present."

The faux leather creaked under the grip of his friend and Lahar slid his head back as he looked into stern and tired emerald eyes. This close Lahar could see details he had been over looking for these last few months. Every line and crease on Mest's face were all telling the same story. He was tired, he was scared, and above all he cared.

Lahar's life wasn't the only one put on hold by the events of Tartaros. Mest had his memories back and knew who he was. Mest had been completely wrapped up in helping Lahar, that he didn't get a chance to discover or rediscover his old and new life. Lahar covered his friend's hand with his own and gave a reassuring squeeze.

"You're right. Show her in and then I am ordering you to take a two-week vacation."

"Thank you," Mest whispered before he rose to his usual height and turned to open the door. Lahar moved back behind his desk and waited as Mest spoke with Lucy.

How could he forget her so easily? Why was she here? What the hell did Mest write in the ad and how much was this going to cost him? The questions circled around in his mind before he noticed the door opening again and Mest leading a slightly distraught Miss Heartfilia back into the office.

"Hi again," she said, her voice a little shaky.

"Hello, I apologize Miss Heartfilia. It was not my intention to be rude." He replied, keeping his gaze on her eyes and not trying to look over her immaculate female form in a short pink dress. He always loved a woman with a perfect hourglass and Lucy's was one of the finest he had seen.

"Mest explained it to me. He felt pretty horrible over forgetting to tell you about the wanted ad. I just hope you two are okay."

Mest smiled at her, "we are good, right boss?"

"Yes, now Mest. Get on that vacation." Lahar ordered with a bit of a sly smile. Mest saluted him and using his spatial magic, teleported himself out of the room as if his hair was on fire. Lucy giggled and shut the door.

"So, do you mind if I start with some dusting? Looks like a few shelves need some work," she said as she hung her purse on the hook where Mest's cloak should go instead of draped wherever he felt like.

Lahar couldn't stop the smile that crept across his features, "Miss Heatfilia…"

"Lucy, please, Miss Heartfilia makes it sound like you are going to slap me in cuffs." She giggled and Lahar blinked, right before he had the most delicious vision of seeing her in cuffs. Lucy laid out on his bed with her hands cuffed to the walnut and iron open slat headboard and a piece of fine red silk over her eyes. Her body glistening in a light sheen of sweat from the pleasure he could inflict upon her under his careful mercy.

He cleared his throat, "Lucy, I would be delighted. Then when you are finished, some tea would be nice and then I have a few files I need assistance with."

She gave him a heart stopping smile before she nodded slightly, "yes, Captain."

For the first time in many months, Lahar felt his cock twitch, he looked down for a moment before taking a deep breath. As she started to move around the room, he forced his eyes to stay on the paperwork on his desk. Taking her home tonight was going to be interesting, after he had his therapy.

* * *

**_Normally when I write Lahar, he's a gentleman Dom and it'll be the same in this story. That's just the way I see him. _**

**_This will probably be like 2 - 3 chapters, so it'll be short. My muse loves Mard, but sometimes I need a break LOL_**

**_Review, Fave and follow!_**


	2. A Knight and the Lady

Lucy's heart was pounding as she untangled herself from the plain cotton bed sheets. She slid out of the bed, managing to step on the edge of the book that fell off her chest when she fell asleep. "Damn," she whined as she hopped to the doorway, using the sliver of light from the street lamp as her only guide.

"I can't!" he screamed and Lucy made her way down the hallway. Mest hadn't told her about Lahar having night terrors and this was the second time he'd woken up screaming in the last couple weeks. The first time had scared her out of her wits and she made many mistakes that night. Mistakes that left her with a small bruise on her cheek when a disoriented Captain had hit her during the episode. When he came to his senses, all he could do was beg her for forgiveness. Which she gave him, but was a little leery around him for a couple days.

Since then she had read up on trauma and learned that night terrors affected aout 2 percent of adults who have experienced trauma or have a mental illness. Lahar would have no idea where he was or what was happening, only that his mind was in a rapid fit of fear. Lucy assumed that his memory was recalling something from the explosion.

She gently pushed on the door, "Lahar, it's Lucy." Lucy took a few steps in the room, keeping her distance from his large wood and iron bed. He was sitting up, frantically pushing at the navy comforter, trying to free his body.

"Get it off me! I can't feel my legs!" he shouted, before he lifted his hands up and drove his fists into his legs.

Lucy felt the hot tear fall down her cheek, she had to remind herself to not move. If she got close to him he'd only hit her and she wasn't physically strong enough to handle an enraged Captain. All the work with pushing himself around in the wheelchair and having to lift himself to do anything had given him a beautifully cut and toned torso.

"Help me!" he shouted as he pulled on his disheveled black-green hair, his voice cracking as he begged.

"Lahar, it's Lucy," she said again, daring to take a step closer. She would need to stay out of his reach but maybe she could at least talk him down. "You are in your bedroom. You are safe."

Lahar fell backwards and started to cry and despite everything her clinical mind said, Lucy approached the bed. She pulled the comforter off of him, folding it at the edge of the bed. She looked over him, Lahar was in black sleep pants and naked from the waist up. The dim light in the room glittered off of his sweaty skin, skin she bet was both soft and hot to the touch.

Lucy sat on the edge, "Lahar, it's Lucy. Do you remember me?"

"L-Lucy?" he questioned between sobs.

"Yeah, I live with you. We had a busy day today, those AG-470 evaluation reports were murder and that typo on line 38." Lucy chuckled and Lahar started to relax, his crying slowing down as he fought for breath. She gently talked to him about their day, trying to help him come back into the present. "We had pot roast for dinner, you liked it rare and thought the pepper gravy was a nice touch. Remember that?"

"Y-yes," he managed as his arms came down to his sides and he looked at her. Even in the dark she could see how puffy his eyes were and all the tear tracks that shimmered against his cheeks. He moved his hand and she took it, gently using her thumb to massage the space between his thumb and index finger.

"After dinner we watched that classic movie, do you remember it?"

"_Casablanca_," he whispered.

"That's right."

"You curled up against me," he added and Lucy smiled. They started at opposite ends of the couch but as the movie went on, Lucy found herself scooting over to him. She loved classic films and cuddling, her habit of resting against Natsu during movie night had spilled over. Not that she wouldn't have wanted to curl up against Lahar, it was just still a little awkward. All things considered.

"Well you were so inviting," she teased and he chuckled. When she got close to him, he had asked her what she thought she was doing. Lucy had told him that the movie was best enjoyed sharing a blanket and at first he looked at her as if she grew a second head before he lifted the soft blanket and invited her to share.

"Thank you," he said.

"I'm going to get a cool washcloth for your eyes," she said as she squeezed his hand before sliding off the bed.

Lucy got into the bathroom and let out a sigh of relief. That went much better than the first time, but it was harder to manage. She wanted to run to him, hold him and tell him everything was fine but she couldn't. Gripped in the night terror, Lahar had zero control over what he was doing but would feel all the remorse for his actions the next day. Even if Lucy got three dozen lilies out of the deal, she really didn't want to go through that much concealer again.

She took one of the folded white washcloths on the light blue marble vanity and ran it under the faucet, set to full cold. Lucy caught her own reflection in the mirror and realized she was a complete mess. Since she fell asleep, she hadn't washed her face of the makeup and now had fabulous racoon eyes. Her hair was exciting and she ran her fingers through it to ease down some of the wild strands. It also dawned on her that she didn't grab a robe and had entered his room wearing her short blue nighty.

Lucy wrung out the cold cloth and said fuck it to her appearance before she walked back to Lahar's room. She let the little lights at the white baseboards guide her way, they provided enough illumination to see where she was stepping and not much else.

"Lahar?" she asked, mostly to see if he was still awake. That and it was polite to announce her presence, Lahar seemed to be happiest when she used every bit of politeness in her body.

"Yes, Lucy," he said before he yawned and she took that as her cue to tend to him. She sat up on the bed and very gently wiped his face.

Lahar gently ran his fingers on her thigh, stopping short of the bottom edge of her nightly. "I will say, you are a much better looking caretaker than Mest."

Lucy chuckled, "I can live with that."

He took her wrist and to Lucy's surprise he placed a small kiss on the inside of it. "Thank you."

She flushed, feeling her cheeks warm up at the small contact. On occasion Lahar would show this side of himself, a gentle and smooth gentleman. It was a contrast to the orderly and sharp Captain that he was around the Rune Knights. He was such a unique dichotomy, like a beautiful riddle inside of an elaborate puzzle box. Lucy liked her puzzles.

Lucy put the cloth over his eyes, "do you want me to pull up the comforter again?"

"Just the sheet," he replied and she noticed that he still held her wrist. His touch was tender with just enough pressure to make his grip apparent.

"I'll need my wrist back," Lucy said and he let go of it. She pulled up the navy sheet, "do you need me to adjust your pillows again?"

"No," he sighed, "Lucy, would you…" Lahar paused and pursed his lips. "Never mind."

""What is it? Do you want some water or a cup of Sleepy Time tea?" Lucy tried to stifle the yawn but was unsuccessful, she was starting to feel the adrenaline leave her system. Waking up in a few hours was going to be a bitch.

"No, never mind," Lahar took in a deep breath, "good night."

Lucy blinked, he seemed annoyed by something judging by how dismissive the last two words were. She turned to slip off the bed when he reached out for her and Lucy looked back at him. His grip was a little tighter than before and her eyes went wide when she finally understood what he was trying to ask.

He'd had an episode, which meant he wasn't likely to have another. In theory she should be safe around him, but maybe she shouldn't fall asleep. Lucy nibbled her bottom lip and curled up beside the Captain, staying on top of the sheets.

"Just until I fall asleep," he whispered as he took her hand in his and pressed it against his chest. Lucy could feel his heartbeat, it was still pounding and he shivered as his breath caught in his throat.

"Tonight, I'll keep you safe, Captain."

Lahar smiled, "again, thank you Lucy."

Lucy relaxed as she laid next to him, his bed was a little firmer than hers but the pillows were very lush. His breathing deepend and his heart rate slowed down, the soft sounds lulling Lucy to sleep. Her eyes were heavy as she drifted off into unconsciousness. Goddess above she hoped he didn't freak out about this in the morning.

* * *

Lahar woke up with a semi dried cloth over his eyes and a warm body pressed against his side. He removed the cloth and turned his head, noting a mess of blonde hair fanned out all over the dark pillow. Lucy was pressed up against his arm and her leg was draped over his thigh.

He knew he had an episode last night, only barely remembering the gentle conversation he had with her about watching the movie. She was so kind and trusting to stay in bed with him, knowing that it could result in him accidently hitting her.

Lahar never meant to smack her, she knew that and forgave him for it, but he still hurt every time he looked at her beautiful face. He never wanted to inflict pain out of emotional rage, only out of pleasure and controlled to the wishes of his submissive. Submissive. How long had it been since he was able to indulge in his desires?

Well before the damn accident and since then he hadn't felt much below the waist. Lahar was grateful that he could still feel his bladder and was able to handle bathroom duties without assistance. Though he hadn't had an erection…

Lucy let out a soft moan and her leg rose higher over his, he couldn't feel it but he watched her nighty rise higher up over the curve of her thigh. He looked down and noticed a tent had formed under the sheet, her leg within inches of his member. Lahar swallowed hard, he hadn't expected this and he closed his eyes, silently thanking God for the moment.

Lahar didn't quite know how to respond, should he go relieve it or see if it would go away on its own? How long would it last? Perhaps he was dreaming and was not laying in bed with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. That could be it, maybe he was just simply dreaming and this was not real.

If this was real, how would he explain it to Lucy? Would she think he was a creep or that he was faking his medical condition? Much like that one idiot doctor who tried to tell him he had something called conversion disorder and that all of this Hell was literally in his head. Lahar let out a harsh breath through his nose as he ground his molars for a few seconds trying to sort it out.

His alarm clock went off and Lucy rolled to her back, murmuring as she did. Lahar tried to reach over her, having to reposition his leg to allow himself to get to his side. He reached over Lucy, the alarm clock barely at the edges of his fingertips and he shifted closer, pressing his chest into the side of her face.

"What the…" she mumbled as he hit the alarm clock and accidently knocked it off the nightstand. Lucy moved and Lahar rolled forward, trapping the Celestial mage under him.

The alarm clock kept blaring as Lahar was staring at a wide eyed Lucy. "Apologies, the alarm clock fell."

"Oh," she said before she turned to her side and reached down for the little device. The only problem was that for her to do it, she was pressing her barely covered ass against his hardened length and Lahar bit his bottom lip to not moan at the contact. She kept squirming as she reached for the stupid thing, each second of teasing him had ready to orgasm faster than a teenager.

Lucy almost slid off the bed, and Lahar without thinking grabbed her hip, pressing her tighter against his body. "Uhhh," he let out as she moved again, this time getting the stupid device in the process. She sat up and set it back on the nightstand, having turned it off. She looked over at him and covered her mouth with her hand as her cheeks turned a lovely dark pink.

No one said anything and she quietly left the room as Lahar rolled to his back and stared up at the ceiling. He was breathing hard and his bottom lip was hurting from the pressure of his teeth. Lahar was embarrassed over the situation and started to worry that Lucy would think less of him for it. It was not as if men had control over their morning predicaments and it was a good thing that he finally had one, but would she understand that?

As he worried over his sense of decency, he heard the door open and quickly he pushed his hands into the bed to help himself sit up. Lahar looked down and grabbed a pillow, throwing it over his lap. Lucy was standing in the doorway, the last bits of flush fading from her face. She was now covered in her pink silk robe, which was both a blessing and a sin.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Lahar nodded, "Embarrassed, but alright."

"Should we notify your physical therapist? That's big," her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth as she went from light pink to beat red in the span of seconds.

Lahar chuckled, "Should I be flattered that you think so, Miss Heartfilia?"

She turned around and he watched her for a few moments before he noticed her shoulders moving and could hear the laughter. He smiled as he watched her trying to hide the laughs and started to feel better about this situation. If there was one ability that Lucy had in spades it was to make anything awkward bearable with her kindness and inadvertent humor.

Lucy eventually turned around, her face slightly flushed from the innuendo. "How about if I start your shower for you?"

Lahar noded and waited for her to leave the room before he took the pillow off his lap and pushed himself to the wheelchair. By now this was all muscle memory, his wheelchair was always in the same location and he slept in roughly the same spot every night. As he slid into it, he unlocked the wheels and pushed himself forward. Before he stopped, he backed up and grabbed his glasses. He didn't remember setting them in the case but he knew that Lucy would sneak into his room and tidy things up or remove an empty glass before she retired for the night.

It only took a few days to get Lucy better at the routines than Mest was. Lahar found out, the first day, that her cleaning obsession was a perfect match to his own. She was also punctual, diligent, charming and even more intellectual than anyone would have guessed. What she could ramble off in her definition of beginners quantum mechanics, had him feeling like the village idiot and he craved it.

Lahar always found intellect to be desirous, more so than a pretty face. As he wheeled into the bathroom he stopped and looked at Lucy who was double checking the water temperature with her wrist. Her knee resting on the edge of the bathtub and arm extended under the rain shower head. Her posture immaculate, the curve of her neck and the shape of her leg had him smiling. She had everything he ever wanted, though he had no idea how she felt.

She had to like him. Why else would she put up with his exacting demands and general demeanor? Then again he treated Mest and Lucy differently.

Scratch that.

Lahar always treated Lucy differently than anyone. When her team had gotten on his bad side, he would never yell at her. He knew better than to try and throw her in jail, it would wreck her magic. There was always something about her and now here she was, in his home and taking care of him.

There was a certain peace of mind to that and he smiled as she shook her arm. Lucy saw him in the doorway and gave him a nod. Lahar wheeled into the bathroom, aligning his wheelchair parallel to the bathtub as she opened the small door. She locked the wheels and stood behind him, just in case he needed help.

Getting his sleep pants and boxers off was an awkward movement. Lean over, push down one said, lean the other way, push down the other and repeat till they were at his ankles. Then he had to lean over and grab the rail on the other side of the tub, Lucy would counter balance his wheelchair to make sure it didn't fall. When he was on the seat, he pulled the curtain closed.

"I'll get your clothing ready, let me know if you need anything else," she said as she put a folded towel on the edge of the tub, keeping it away from the water.

Lahar waited till he heard the door shut before he addressed his erection. It appeared he was going to have to handle this, because around her, it was not likely to go away on it's own. Even the little cooler than room temp water was not helping.

He wrapped his hand around it, almost feeling unfamiliar with his body part. It had been far too long. Lahar lifted his face to the gentle falling water and closed his eyes as he started constructing a fantasy in his head.

In his mind he could see Lucy on her knees before him. Her hands tied behind her back in a satin red rope that accented her creamy skin. Around her neck a thin golden chain that connected to another one that was anchored between two gold nipple clamps. The light catching on the metal and bouncing off the stardust on her being.

Her eyes bright with anticipation as she tried to not squirm with the vibrating egg in her pink panties. Red and pink, the colors of rapture and love, all things that symbolized his view of her. Her love of life and kindness, the rapture that would make her lips part as she utter incoherent sounds of pleasure.

As his hand came up, twisted and came back down he could almost feel Lucy's hot mouth envelop him. Worshipping his cock as only she would know how to do.

How he trained her to do.

Long teasing licks, ghosting of soft plump lips along the thick vein before she would swallow him as far as she could manage. His hand worked in concert to the delicious hungry pace she was setting in his mind. Her only desire to taste what she would bring from him.

He would push her hair back, gently caressing her cheek in encouragement. Her eyes would glance up at him, filled to the brim with need and desire. She would give herself to him and he would give her all that he had. Beyond just the pleasure of sex but transcended into the heaven they both needed.

Master and servant.

Dominator and submissive.

Rapture and love.

He could hear her moan and felt the stirring of his release as he covered his mouth to stifle his sharp cry. His torso shook as he orgasmed and a feeling he almost forgot washed over him in a perfect crescendo. Lahar opened his eyes and took in a deep breath as he watched the remains of his imagination and his cum circle down the drain.

* * *

Lucy stood to the side as she watched the therapist push against Lahar's leg. He was on the beige mat, in his sweat suit, a dark teal set with the Rune Knight Academy emblem over the left pectoral. The therapist - David - was holding Lahar's foot to his chest and asking him to try.

The therapist's office wasn't quite what Lucy expected. It was a combination of a modified gym and a mini spa. Railings, light weights, padded mats, large yoga balls and massage tables filled the wide open and bright space. The side wall was all mirrors so the injured could watch their own progress and in between the large bay windows were photos of the many people who recovered here. The ones that got to Lucy were the ones of kids and one day she hoped to see Lahar's picture on the wall as another success story.

"Come on, you've done it before. Push against me, Captain Morrigan," he said.

"I am trying to, David," Lahar replied his voice sharp as he gritted his teeth and concentrated. Lucy saw the drops of sweat bead around his forehead.

David's assistant, a nice young lady who was still doing her residency came over to Lucy, holding a glass of cool water. "Hi, Amanda."

Amanda gave her a bright smile that reached her hazel eyes, "so nice to see you Lucy. How was your weekend?" She offered Lucy the glass and Lucy gave her a nod of appreciation before accepting it.

"Well you know, hanging out with Lahar."

"Did you try to get out?"

Lucy shrugged, "I got him to the backyard. I wanted to take him to the StarGazer Planetarium but they aren't equipped with ramps for his wheelchair." She frowned, the Planetarium was doing a special two night event with a famous astrophysicist, Dr. Micheal Casian, from Minstrel. He'd written one of her favorite books, _History of Everything Through Particles_, and several academic journals that she had questions about. Now that the event was over, she missed her chance and Lucy sighed.

"I'm sorry you missed the Planetarium. How is Captain Morrigan? Any updates?" she asked as she tossed back a lock of her long pale red hair.

Lucy felt her cheeks warm up as she nibbled her bottom lip. She could also recall the peek she took at him when he was getting in the shower. Normally she wouldn't open her eyes until he said it was okay, but what she felt in bed that morning, left her curious. She almost regretted it as she thought of the handsome and naked man sitting under the water. That glimpse was probably going to be some serious wet dream material.

"Lucy?" Amanda asked with a small chuckle.

"Oh, yeah, he um," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "had an erection this morning."

She smiled and scribbled down a note on the clipboard paperwork. "That's wonderful news, anything else?"

Lucy shook her head, "he's been much more relaxed lately. Overall we've been having fun."

Amanda nodded and took down a few more notes. She looked at Lucy and held the blue plastic object to her chest. "Can we talk, girl to girl?"

Lucy tilted her head and nodded, "let me tell Lahar first." Amanda took her glass and moved to the back of the room as Lucy walked closer to where David was still struggling to get Lahar to do anything with his leg.

She knelt down next to Lahar and took her handkerchief from her pocket and dotted it over his brow. "Amanda wants to chat for a few minutes. I'll be right over there."

"Gah, o-okay," he said through tight lips. Lucy pushed his damp bangs away from his eyes and gave him a smile.

"You can do this, Captain," she whispered before coming to her feet and walking towards Amanda.

"Woah!" David called out and Lucy spun around in time to see the large brunette almost fall backwards on his ass. He stumbled back and managed to keep himself up as Lahar's leg was still in the air.

"Lahar!" she called out and suddenly his leg went crashing down to the ground with a loud thud.

"My man! That. Was. Awesome!" David said as he got on his knees and started massaging Lahar's calf.

"It was a fluke, don't patronize me," Lahar said and Lucy looked down at him.

"No, Lahar," she said, "that was progress. Take the victory."

"Yeah listen to your girlfriend," the therapist added as he gave Lucy a big thumb's up.

"She's not..." Lahar started.

"I'm not…" Lucy said at the same time. They looked at each other and then looked away before she whispered, "his girlfriend."

Lahar had a sullen look on his face, "she's my caretaker." At that moment Lucy felt her heart thump. Her mind started to wonder if Lahar wanted more from her than just his nurse-maid. That couldn't be right, could it?

After a chilly first meeting, he'd warmed up slowly to her over the last couple weeks. Lahar would smile easily at her, but kept his poker face on around his fellow Rune Knights. He often complimented her and talked to her, or even just let her ramble as she worked out various equations or the _New Era Times_ crossword puzzle. Not once did he ever call her his caretaker, when he introduced her it was always by her name and called her assistant, many times.

He was also capable of being stern and ordering Lucy with a sharp turn of phase. His words sometimes like a whip and the ferocity that could lurk behind his amethyst eyes had left her brain a puddle of goo a few times. If he told her to get naked and jump in his lap, she probably would without bothering to ask a single damn question. Especially after that look she got this morning.

"Yeah," David's voice snapped Lucy out of her reverie, "okay dude, go with that. Feel up to trying with the other leg?"

"Yes."

Lucy let the conversation drop as she walked back to Amanda who was scribbling again with a smile. Her pen moving in rapid fire as she cataloged the moment. Lucy took a seat on one of the squishy bean bag type chairs and looked back at Lahar who was doing the same exercise only this time with his right leg. David was still encouraging him on, this time with a wider stance for more balance.

"Lucy, do you know what conversion disorder is?" she asked as she put away the clipboard. Lucy shook her head and Amanda continued. "You know that stress can do horrible things to your sleep and overall life right?"

"Oh, that I know," Lucy whispered. She'd lived with more than enough stress in her life.

"Conversion disorder is when the patient is under so much stress the brain can't process it. So what it does is it takes that stress and converts it into the outward appearance of something major. It used to be called hysterical blindness, but now we know it can manifest in different ways. For example, we had a woman in here who had horrible vertigo. Cat scans, blood work, testing of her inner ears, and two neurologists couldn't find a physical problem. We worked with her anyways and as she trusted us more, she began to talk." Amanda looked down and sniffled, "turned out she was being abused by her husband and this was the only way she could get a break. The stress was too much and when she started to piece things together, the vertigo subsided."

"You think…" Lucy's voice trailed off as Lahar shouted at David to get away from him. She stood up and the resident took her hand.

"He needs you, more than he realizes. Whatever gains he's making now it's because he's slowly finding peace and letting the stress go away. You're his focal point. He's a Knight, be the lady he wants to rescue."

Lucy put her hand over Amanda's, "thank you." Lahar grumbled again as David started taking several steps back. "I better…"

"Yeah, he's hit cranky," she said with a laugh.

Lucy trotted back over to Lahar and looked down at him before leaning over and offering her hand. "Come on, Captain, that's enough for today. How about I make salmon tonight?"

"You're placating me?" he asked.

Lucy held up her hand, pinching her thumb and index finger close together but not touching, "just a little."

Lahar closed his eyes and snorted, "you do know I only let you treat me so horribly."

"What can I say, I'm special," Lucy winked at him, which had Lahar quietly chuckling. She saw Amanda come up behind Lahar with his wheelchair. He managed to get himself into the device and Lucy said her goodbyes to the duo. That was after she was confirming their appointment in two days.

"See ya Wednesday, Captain Morrigan." David said with a big grin as Lucy walked behind Lahar who was wheeling himself out of there as quickly as he could.

They got to the small elevator as Lucy pulled out the water bottle and towel from her backpack. Lahar took the items quietly with a small nod of gratitude. The trip in the elevator was quiet, both of them seemed to be lost in thought. Which wasn't completely unusual but Lucy was busy circling around in her mind, everything Amanda said.

_You're his focal point. He's a Knight, be the lady he wants to rescue._

The only question was, how could she manage that?

As they came back into the oppressive heat of another summer day, Lucy fumbled in her bag for her sunglasses. As she did, she stepped back and crashed into someone. She spun around and looked up into a pair of beautiful cerulean eyes.

"Excuse me," she said. She recognized those eyes, that wide strong jaw covered with a dusting of dark stubble and shaggy dishwater blonde hair anywhere. Her mouth was open and she quickly shut it, least not look like an idiot in front of Dr. Micheal Casian.

"It's alright, love. Never mind it when a beautiful lady crashes into me," he said and she swooned a little at his flirtation.

"Lucy, we were leaving," Lahar said and she held up her hand to silence him.

"I loved your book and your last paper on quasar frequency distortions from a singularity was impressive. The math you did on the sine waves was riveting. How did you piece it together and did you factor into the originating star that caused the black hole?" Lucy's heart was racing and she couldn't get her words out fast enough.

Dr. Casian chuckled, "I must say this is the first time a gorgeous girl wants to grill me about my book rather than try to flirt."

"How do you know I'm not using science to flirt?" Lucy teased. She completely forgot about everything around her as she stood, literally in the shadow, of a rockstar of astrophysics.

He arched a brow and smiled at her before taking her hand placing a kiss to her knuckles. Lucy was never washing that hand again. "Have dinner with me and I'll explain everything…"

"L-Lucy Heartfilia," she stammered.

He stood up for a moment and blinked, "you wrote the dissertation on the hypothesis that dark matter is spawned from a Higgs-Boson particle that split. Instead of outward force, due to its complexity, it has an internal thermal dynamic reaction similar to a mini-black hole."

Her eyes widened, "you… you… Read my paper?"

He stepped closer to her and looked down at her, "I've read everything by you. Have dinner with me and please, seduce me with your stunning prefrontal cortex."

"Lucy!" Lahar shouted and she looked over her shoulder. He was sitting there, crushing the water bottle and glaring not daggers but swords at her.

"Um, shoot," she whispered.

"Who's that?" Michael asked, still holding on to her hand.

"Lahar, I'm helping him while he's going through therapy," she said.

"Not anymore," Lahar said and she watched how he frowned before turning his wheelchair around and started moving away.

"Wait," Lucy tried to go but Michael held her hand.

"Looks like you're free now. Dinner?" he asked again and Lucy sighed.

"This is a dream come true to me, I've looked up to your work for years now. But…" she nibbled her bottom lip and pinched her forehead, "he needs me. I'm sorry."

"Damn, so am I. Though, "he reached into his back jeans pocket and handed her a card, "when you get a free night call me. I'll be in Era for another week."

Lucy took the card, noticing that her fingers were shaking and her heart had gone wild in her chest. "Thank you." She managed a weak smile before she managed to leave the roguish doctor's presence.

She ran to catch up with Lahar, who was wheeling himself as if he couldn't move fast enough. "La…"

"Save it," he stopped and looked up at her, his face was etched in pain and she saw a tear gather at the corner of his eye. "You're a beautiful woman, of course men are going to fawn all over you. They also don't need a babysitter and can walk. You should go enjoy your life, not be…"

Lucy had heard enough and leaned down, "shut it, Lahar." With that she did the bravest and most likely stupidest thing in her life. She kissed the bespectacled man.

When their lips touched she had a sudden flash of being in the hospital room. The Captain leaning over her and gently stroking her cheek. He kissed her, that time and now out in the middle of a roasting late afternoon sun on a quiet street in Era, Lucy was kissing him.

* * *

_Yeah, I know that was a rollercoaster for me too. _

_As always, please review, fave and follow! Thank you very much to everyone who has so far._


	3. Twitch

_Well, this is going to go one extra chapter more than I planned. This one ran away on me and that's fine. It'll, in theory, make for a more well rounded story this way. Enjoy._

* * *

His hand curled behind her head and Lucy climbed into his lap, Lahar grabbed the wheel to hold them in place as his lips molded to hers. Her small hands grabbed at his shoulders, fisting the sweaty material.

Lahar deepened the kiss, his tongue pushing past her plump lips to curl against hers. This may not have been what she had in mind when she kissed him, but this is where he was taking things.

His fingers raked through her golden tresses as he savored every movement and taste of her. Lucy was like kissing heaven, accented in strawberries, and doused in honey. His eyes shut, so he could block out everything but her.

And acknowledge his own jealousy. Using this moment to take back what he wanted, which was all of her.

The way she looked at the other man had his chest clenching and anger turning his blood cold. How quickly she dismissed him to fawn over whatever-his-name was, hurt more than his pride, it hurt his heart. These weeks with her had been the best in his life, despite the problems he was dealing with.

Every day was a little brighter than the day before. Every laugh and smile was a gift. This kiss was the culmination of everything he longed to say but could not. Words failed him around her.

Lucy pulled back, her lips swollen, darker in color, and glistening in the bright sun. That signature flush grace her cheeks as she let go of his shoulders. "Lahar," she whispered.

He gently cupped her cheek, "Lucy."

She looked as lost for words as he was, their breathing and the sounds of the city the only things around them. Lucy barely moved, still haphazardly on his lap, her hands timid in touching him further.

Lahar kept looking into her chocolate eyes, looking for any sign as to what she was thinking. More aptly, making sure he hadn't crossed a line with her, and the kiss hadn't broken her trust in him. These things were a balance and he suspected she would take to being a strong submissive, he hadn't tried to discuss it with her.

What would have been the point? Except for the one erection, he hadn't felt anything since. Even now, the passionate embrace hadn't stirred anything physical, only emotional. Emotionally he was more connected to her than any other woman he had ever met. If he was honest with himself, he'd been that way since the hospital night.

Lucy leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his, careful of the top of his glasses. "I remembered the hospital kiss," she whispered.

"Mest reminded me of that moment, the day you answered the ad." He replied, his hands running down her back before he rested them on her waist.

"Why did you kiss me?" she asked.

Lahar pursed his lips and searched his memory; he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He was hoping for the Proust Effect to kick in, that perhaps her scent would trigger that memory. It was a little fragmented, but he had some idea as to why he kissed her.

"Because, despite the circumstances, I was never more taken by a woman than I was with you," he looked away for a second, "and I still am."

"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, squirming a little in his lap. He was already over heated, her body heat plus his dark clothing absorbing the sun, had sweat dripping down the middle of his back and along his sides.

"I tried, the next day. Your team was there, and I didn't want to interrupt. After that…" his voice trailed off.

"We each went our own ways."

Lahar nodded, "I didn't have the time nor opportunity. Every time I saw you after that, it was only because of work. How could I, in one breath deal with my job and tell you that you affected me more than anyone?"

Lucy chuckled, "that would be odd. Miss Heartfilia, I am going to throw your ass in jail. Also, I like you, want to date?"

Lahar laughed at her deadpanned impression of him. It was such a silly thing but at the very least, her razor-sharp mind was quick to catch on the complexities of the situation. Lucy's personality was multifaceted, it complimented his own and there were parts of him, only she had ever seen.

The laughter faded and Lucy got off his lap, she bent down and picked up her light brown backpack. "We should go home, Lahar. We can finish talking there, instead of getting sunburn in the middle of the sidewalk."

"I agree," he took her hand, "then it'll be easier to tell you that I like you."

She smiled at him and kissed his forehead, "I like you too."

Lahar was glowing and not just because of sweat. He pushed up the sleeves of his shirt and started to wheel himself home with Lucy walking beside him. "I do have a question."

Lucy nodded and Lahar continued, "exactly who was that man that was trying to take you to dinner?"

She giggled, "remember when I wanted to go to the Planetarium?"

"Yes, but they weren't equipped for wheelchair access."

"That was Dr. Casian, he's a very big deal in astrophysics and was doing a two-night event there. This big, "she stretched her arms out, "multimedia story based on his book. It's supposed to be amazing to see artistic renderings of quantum theories and particle sciences along with music and his narration."

Lahar stopped moving and looked up at her, "I'm sorry. You should have said something. You could have gone without me."

She shook her head, "it wouldn't have been fun without you. Except for Freed, you're like the only one who's ever been interested in my scientific studies."

"Freed?" he asked.

"Freed Justine, he's a member of Fairy Tail," she looked away and let out a breath, leaving something unsaid to hang in the air.

"Oh," he whispered. Lahar should have figured that of course someone as stimulating as Lucy has had partners before.

"It's been over for a while now, if you're worried," she said before she started walking.

Lahar pushed his wheels to try and catch up, being careful of the slight slope at the edge of the block. When they crossed the street, he caught up to her, "I apologize, I shouldn't have enquired about something personal."

Lucy shrugged, "unless you were stalking me, there was no way you would have known."

"True." Lahar still pursed his lips as they continued. He was starting to notice the smell of his own sweat in the heat and it was offending his nose. He couldn't wait to get home and get into a cool shower. Though he should probably let Lucy have one first, it would be the least he could do.

As they made it back to his house, he noticed someone sitting on the porch and Lahar smiled as he realized it was Mest. Mest looked rested and was dressed comfortably in civilian clothing. He flashed the pair a grin as he came down the stairs and walked along the little white cement pathway to the driveway.

"Mest!" Lucy called out, waving her hand in the air.

"Hey, Lucy. Lahar, looking good buddy. Just finish PT?" he said as Lahar came along the side of the porch, towards the wooden makeshift ramp.

Lahar nodded and opened his mouth to speak when Lucy cut him off. "You should have seen him, he pushed David back and then his leg stayed in the air for about twenty seconds!"

"Wow, that's wonderful," he said as he reached out.

Lahar shook his hand, "it was a small bit of progress."

Mest let go and hugged Lucy, Lahar looked away. Out of anyone he shouldn't be jealous of his only friend hugging her. Not that Mest ever harbored any thoughts of the Celestial mage. Well outside of randomly chiding him to go and, "get a piece."

"What brings you here?" Lahar asked.

"Well," he scratched the back of his neck, "I wanted to talk to you."

"Let me help Lahar into a nice shower, then I'll start on dinner and we chat over that. Chicken alfredo sound good?"

"Sounds wonderful, thanks Lucy." Mest said as he followed Lahar into the house.

* * *

Lucy was happy to see Mest, but also a little disappointed. She wanted to keep talking to Lahar about what he was thinking and feeling, but that was going to have to wait. Instead she made small talk with Mest in the kitchen as she was browning up the diced chicken in seasoned oil.

"How was vacation? Can't believe it's been two weeks already," she said as she grabbed the large chrome pepper mill.

"It was great, I slept in. Alot," Mest said with a chuckle.

"Ready to go back to work?" Lucy asked as she moved around the kitchen to grab the fettuccine noodles, she picked up at the farmer's market yesterday.

Mest pursed his lips and ran a hand through his ebony locks, the silence a little awkward. Lucy didn't want to push anything and went about adding in a pinch of sea salt to the water before dropping in the noodles. She had to concentrate, whipping the cream sauce to keep it from sticking to the pan, while slowly adding in the mixture of parmesan and goat cheese. Her alfredo was no joke to make.

As she was whisking the sauce, the timer went off for the noodles, "Mest can you get the noodles? Colander is in the sink already, just dump and shake the colander to get as much water out as possible."

"Don't you rinse them?"

"Not for this, they are al dente and I don't want to stop the cooking process fully when I toss it in with the sauce."

He took the large green stock pot, "jar stuff is easier."

Lucy laughed, "not as tasty." She turned off the heat and removed the pan, setting to the side as she reached up for the large glass serving bowl. Lucy took the ladle, poured in a little of the sauce and swirled it around to coat the bowl before she reached over and took the noodles from Mest. He smiled at her as she set about finishing the meal.

"Got wine?" he asked.

She shook her head, "I don't let Lahar drink. Seems to be a trigger for nightmares and general crankiness."

"Yeah," he let out a breath, "Lahar never used to be that way. He never drank more than two glasses of anything and if he did, he'd just get chatty."

She shrugged, "we all handle our own pain in different ways." Lucy knew quite a bit about that and as she reflected a bit more on what Amanda said, things were adding up quickly. She was willing to bet that they were onto something with the conversion disorder. Though, talking to Lahar about mental illness would be difficult, the man had his pride. Lucy got that, having or admitting to mental illness is hard on anyone.

When dinner was finished, she excused herself from Mest's company to check on Lahar. He was in the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the made bed and buttoning up a light blue dress shirt. She knocked on the door frame, and he turned his head to look at her, "dinner is ready."

"One minute," he finished the button before leaning back and trying to tuck his shirt into his tan dress pants. Lucy noticed that Lahar didn't seem to believe in jeans, he was always dressed up a little. The level of his relaxation depended on if he had a button or two undone and if he rolled up his sleeves. Today he had one button undone and his sleeves rolled up, which meant he was comfortable.

Lucy waited silently, knowing that if Lahar wanted help, he would ask. She watched him move from the bed to the wheelchair, trying to hold still when she saw the chair teeter a little. Lahar got into it and slowly wheeled himself forward on the cream carpeting. She noticed a tire mark and realized she should clean the carpets again.

There was always something to do and though she thought this would be an easier job. It wasn't and she barely had any time to write in the last couple weeks. Let alone much time to herself. She wasn't complaining, Lahar was wonderful company and she enjoyed spending time with him. Mostly because she never had to hold herself back from talking about a wide range of things.

She followed him back to the small dining room, connected to the open kitchen. The table was a four-person cherry wood piece with a line in the center so it could be extended to fit six. Lahar sat at the end of the table, where he could overlook the whole room and Lucy took a seat to his right, as Mest took the side opposite Lahar.

"Damn this smells amazing, Lucy," he said as he took a white napkin and stuffed the corner down his collar. Lucy giggled as she and Lahar put their napkins in their laps.

"Dig in," she said as she took Lahar's salad plate and dished up some Caesar Salad and put a piece of garlic bread on the side.

"Thank you," Lahar said as Mest passed him the glass bowl with the alfredo.

When everyone was served, only the sounds of eating could be heard. Lucy was hungry, they had been on the go since early this morning. A full day at work, with way too many meetings and even more forms to fill out and file. Then his physical therapy and everything after that.

There was a small pause in the air as Mest dabbed his napkin to his lips before letting out a tiny burp. "So, I was thinking while on vacation."

"That's dangerous," Lahar said with a sly smile as he sipped his sparkling water.

"Oh, har har," Mest said, a little dramatically, "seriously. Look, I um…" Lucy put down her fork and looked at him. He was fidgety, his eyes looking anywhere but Lahar's direction and he was tapping his butter knife against his plate. Lahar and Lucy exchanged quizzical looks but neither said anything.

"I'm quitting," Mest finally said, disrupting the small silence.

Lucys' eyes went wide and she slid a side look at Lahar. The Captain sat back in his wheelchair with his hands folded in his lap. She wanted to say something but wasn't certain if this was even her place to do it. Perhaps she should at the very least wish him luck.

Lahar pushed back from the table and she was ready to rise and chase after him. Mest was his closest friend and he might have been feeling rejected by his partner's admission. Lucy scooted back and was ready to move to be by Lahar's side when she saw him come along side of Mest and offer his hand.

"It was an honor to serve with you," he said.

Mest blinked, his jaw open before he took the offered hand and grinned. "You're not mad?"

Lahar shook his head, "you gave up six months of your life to stick around and take care of me. Six months you could have used to go get back the life you were missing. All those years we spent together while your memories were erased. No, I'm not mad."

Mest leaned over and pulled Lahar into a hug, Lucy relaxed in the chair smiling as the friends embraced. She watched with a smile as they whispered to each other before the two men pulled back. Lahar pushed up his glasses and looked at Lucy, "would you mind running to the store? I believe chocolate ice cream is his favorite."

"That sounds perfect, I'll get a Neapolitan. Little something for everyone." She stood up and was going to grab the plates when Mest shook his head.

"We got the dishes, thanks Lucy," he said.

"Okay, I'll be right back," she hurried to go grab her backpack and get her sandals on. Lucy would take the bike out for this, since she didn't have to walk with Lahar or drive his SE Vehicle for him.

Which was surprising, not only did Lahar have an issued Rune Knight patrol car, he also had a classic Aston Martin, the same model James Bond drove in _Goldfinger_. She found out that he bought it cheap and then worked on it for six years, slowly acquiring parts. He called it his puzzle car because that's what he felt like he was doing. Putting together a puzzle of engineering.

Sadly, he told her that he had only been able to drive it a few times before the explosion. Lucy hoped one day he would take her for a ride in the silver luxury vehicle. She pushed the button for the automatic door opener and grabbed her pink star helmet. Least on her bike, she could make it back before the ice cream melted.

* * *

"So, how's it really going?" Mest asked with a bit of slyness to his voice. He was washing the dishes and handing them to Lahar for drying. Least he was taking his time with them and not leaving them a bit of a mess.

Lahar rolled his eyes, "what _exactly_ do you want to know?" He wiped down the white and gold dinner plate with the slightly damp dish towel before setting it on the counter with the others.

"You know what I mean. Come on man, you've at least kissed her right?"

Lahar sighed, "no."

"What?" he asked as he dropped the forks back in the soapy water. His face was incredulous, which was saying something, and Lahar chuckled.

"She kissed me," he replied, smiling as he looked up at his partner.

"Stud muffin, Lahar." Mest held up a wet and bubble covered hand and Lahar slapped it, squishing bubbles between their pressed palms.

"Now, no more questions about my time with Lucy. Let's talk about your plans." He tried to change the subject, wanting to keep his personal life a little more personal.

Mest rinsed off the last couple forks and handed them to him. Lahar dried them off as he reached into the cabinet above the sink. He pulled out a barely touched bottle of whiskey. "We can sneak one drink before Lucy gets back. Don't worry, I'll take it back with me."

Lahar pursed his lips, "Lucy would not approve. I don't hold my drink like I used to."

"It's only one," Mest said as he grabbed two rocks glasses from the cabinet next to the fridge.

"No, I'm sorry but feel free to indulge on your own," he said. Lahar didn't want to take the risk; he wasn't feeling out of the woods to experiment with liquor again. When he could walk again, then maybe he would have a nice glass of a good merlot to celebrate and not a minute before.

Mest fixed himself a drink and Lahar moved out of the kitchen, the bottle practically singing a siren song to him. He really did want that drink, but he also knew that he wouldn't stop at one. No matter what Mest said, when Lahar wanted something, Hell couldn't stop him.

Right now, he had things he wanted to discuss with Lucy, and he couldn't do that if his mind was impaired even a little. Lahar moved into the living room, he made himself comfortable on the couch as Mest took the leather recliner. Normally Lahar would sit there, but the couch provided an opportunity for Lucy to curl up against him.

His friend took a sip of the whiskey, "you've changed a little."

"How so?"

"A little softer around the edges, you smile at her and your shoulders aren't straight across," Mest replied.

"Could also be that I'm tired, it was a long day." Lahar said, trying to not think too heavily on Mest's observations. On rare occasions Mest's ability to not small details almost rivaled his own. That was a high compliment, since nothing ever missed his careful gaze.

"Nope, it's Lucy. You've fallen for her and I'm pretty certain she feels the same way."

"Nonsense, what you are seeing is two people who like being around each other. She appreciates me for who I am and around me she can be true to herself."

Mest took another sip of the amber liquid and Lahar had to look away. The glass was too tempting for him to maintain the politeness of looking at his friend while they chatted. Even if the chat was relatively inane.

Nobody ever fell in love in such a short time span. Love at first site was a fantasy construct, not a real thing. If it was real, he would have fallen in love with Lucy a long time ago. He didn't. Infatuated with her, yes. A few random daydreams of meeting her again, yes. A sporadic sexual fantasy, most definitely yes.

"Think about that Lahar, just take a second."

"For what? I've already explained it." Lahar was confused and his friend was swirling his glass. The golden liquid rose up the glass and left a bit of its residue as it came down. Like a decent whiskey should do.

"You have two people who don't fit in around anyone else in their life and yet fall into place easily around each other. She was made for you and you were made for her."

"Has vacation damaged your brain? Watched too many what do you call them," he paused and thought it over for a few seconds, "rom coms?"

Mest let out a hearty laugh before he finished his whiskey. Lahar was grateful that it was gone, it would be easier to hold a conversation. He kept the glass in his lap, which was wise because the coasters were on the other side of the table and Lahar detested any glassware placed on the table without one.

"No," he looked over at the antique grandfather clock and sighed, "I have to go. Tell Lucy I'm sorry I'm going to miss the desert."

"So soon?" Lahar asked and he wanted to get up to see his friend out the door but his cursed legs. He tried to reach for the wheelchair as Mest quickly walked by him. He heard the water running in the kitchen before it shut off and by the time Lahar was half way into his wheelchair, Mest was beside him, the bottle of whiskey tucked in the crook of his arm.

Lahar finished getting in and looked up. Mest put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "You'll analyze it later. Then you'll know I'm right. I'm happy for you partner. Have a great life."

"You sound like you won't ever see me again. We've got two weeks before you leave."

Mest paused, "I said quitting, effective immediately. I left my uniforms in the office and a couple case files."

Lahar's mouth fell open, his eyes wide as he sat there in total disbelief, "why?"

"It's my time, Lahar. I realized during this time that I need my life to move forward. I never wanted to be a Rune Knight. Not like you did. I want to travel and find my old guildmates again. Have adventures and maybe be lucky enough to find a good woman. Like you did." Lahar could see the hope in his emerald eyes, also a flicker of sorrow. Mest squeezed his shoulder and he covered his hand with his own.

"It won't be the same without you," Lahar said.

"That's a good thing. Change isn't evil. Look had it not been for that explosion, you would have never approached Lucy again. The wheelchair sucks but look what you got out of the deal. If she can tolerate you now, she'll love you even more when you are back to being 100%."

Lahar wanted to say something, but it was too late. Not even a goodbye as Mest teleported out of his house. Which made sense, goodbyes were never pleasant. After so many years of friendship and working together, Mest was gone. In his wake a deeper understanding of life and love than Lahar had.

Did he have a point to any of that? That maybe change and his injury was just a means to bring about the continuation of a spark that started when he first met Lucy? Lahar looked over at the couch, he could see faded moments of Lucy curled up with him. The dining room table where they did the crossword together or played board games.

All around him, Lahar could start to see the good things in his life. All that was missing was some pictures to put on the wall in place of the art pieces. He wheeled down the hallway and looked into the bathroom. Still seeing Lucy as she washed her face to get ready for bed. He looked down the hallway towards his room, how she would stand in the doorway and smile at him every morning.

She was everywhere in this house. She was everywhere in his mind. She was everywhere in his heart. Lahar rubbed his chest as he felt more than thought about what Mest said.

"I'm back," Lucy called out and Lahar felt his heart thump against his chest. He rolled backwards in the wheelchair and turned around in the living room, where he had more room to do so. Lucy was in the kitchen, putting away the dishes.

He watched how she moved, that perfect posture, pure efficiency and a unique grace that was all hers. Her lips always had a smile and her eyes were bright. Even if she was flushed from the heat and the trip to the store. She was still perfect in his eyes.

It was just a normal domestic scene, but with the Mest's words in his head, Lahar saw it with new eyes. The eyes of a man, who was very much in love and judging by what he saw when her eyes met his. A man who was also very muched loved.

That was when his foot twitched. He felt the movement, then it felt as if his whole leg was asleep. The sharp stabbing pins and needles had Lahar clutching his leg. He groaned and Lucy dropped to her knees as she looked up at him.

"Hurts," he groaned as she tried to massage his thigh. She took his foot in her hand, removing the house slipper and gently running her fingers up the arch. His foot kicked lightly at her and she leaned back, making sure it didn't hit her face.

"Did you feel that?" she asked, her eyes full of hope as water gathered along the edge.

"Y-yes," he stammered as he could feel every little touch.

"The other one?" She set it down and took his other foot in her hand.

Lahar sucked in a breath and concentrated as she pressed her thumbs under his toes. He shook his head, all he could feel was the left leg and it started jerking again. Lucy moved out of the way, they both watched in fascination how it moved in sharp small spasms. His eyes met hers and she dashed away a tear from, the smile on her face telling him she was elated.

She let go of his foot and took his hand, giving his long fingers a delicate squeeze. "Lahar," she whispered in wonder.

"Lucy, I… ugh…" he said as another wave of sensation rose up his one leg. It had been so long and though the feeling was uncomfortable, it was glorious. Not quite as wonderful as kissing Lucy had been, but right up there.

"Breathe, slowly. It's okay, I'm right here," she said, her voice like a cooling balm over him. He kept staring at her, using her face a focus to keep his wits together. Lahar bit his bottom lip as his brows knit together and he yanked off his glasses to cover his eyes before she saw him cry.

Minutes may have passed when Lahar felt the sensation start to die down. His head was being tilted up and his hand brushed aside. Delicate butterfly kisses were placed to his closed eyes, capturing drops of tears that were flowing from them.

She put her hand on his other leg and he felt that, felt the pressure of her touching him. "I feel that," he whispered his voice catching in his throat.

Lucy lightly pinched his upper thigh, "that?"

"Yes."

"I should call your doctor," she said and he nodded. Lucy left his presence as she grabbed the wall phone, placing the black and white receiver to her ear as she dialed the number she memorized.

Lahar was amazed as he watched the other foot start to twitch, the pain a bit lesser. He could hear her speak with the doctor, her voice hopeful and rushed as she tried to convey to him what was happening.

"Left leg started twitching, then he said it was like it was a sleep and it hurt. No, small spasms. He could feel me pinch his other thigh but not his foot." She paused, "okay," another lengthy pause, "sure, tomorrow at 10 am. Got it." Lucy hung up the phone and came back to him.

"Well?" he asked.

"Let's not try walking tonight. A bath with epsom salts may help and so will a nice long deep massage. She said to not feel discouraged if you wake up tomorrow and feel nothing, it might have been your nerves trying to reboot. Like a test flare."

"Lucy, I could feel my legs," he took her hand and kissed the back of it before holding it to his wet cheek. "Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me? This is all your doing." she said before she kissed the top of his head.

Lahar looked up at her, seeing her face fuzzy but easily able to see her large brown eyes. "No, you came into my life and made it better. Thank you. I…" the words died on his tongue and he promptly shut his mouth.

She touched his cheek, "let's get you taken care of and then maybe ice cream."

Lahar smiled, "you're always taking care of me."

Lucy shrugged, "I try."

"You succeed, thank you. I will take care of you, as long as you let me." he said. Lucy stepped back away from him, her hand over her mouth. Lahar put his glasses on in time to watch her run away from him.

He was frozen in place, having no idea what he said wrong. He backed up and tried to follow her down the hallway, "Lucy?"

He stopped in front of her door and turned the knob, crocking it open a little. As he peeked in he saw Lucy kneeling beside the plain navy and pink bed, her head in her arms as she sobbed. Lahar didn't know what was going on. Without thinking he pushed himself into her very clean room, careful as his foot still twitched and he didn't want to kick her.

"Lucy? Please, I'm sorry for whatever I did." He said his words were shaky.

She shook her head, "no, no."

Lahar reached out and gently touched her shoulder as his foot kicked into her bed, hitting the metal frame. He groaned at the pain and grit his teeth to not scream. "P-please, Lucy."

She looked up at him, makeup running down with her tears. "You can't, we can't… this," she sobbed, "was supposed to be temporary. You weren't supposed to…"

"What? What wasn't I supposed to do?" he was desperate, pleading with her to just help him. Give him something to work with so he could find a solution to this.

He waited, his heart hammering in his chest as his breath came up short. Whatever she would say, he didn't know if he would hear it or could hear it. What if she was going to reject him? What if she was only doing this for the money and the kiss was just something she did to shut him up?

What if everything he felt was unrequited? Could he handle that?

He held his breath, waiting for her to speak, his eyes pleading for anything.

"I-I," she swallowed, "wasn't supposed to fall in love with you."

* * *

_Please, review, fave and follow._


	4. Will you still love me, if you know me?

_At this point... don't ask. This story is gonna go till it wants to finish, that means for those of you who wanted this to be longer, wish fulfilled (now leave a review... LOL... seriously I'm teasing, I hate when other authors get demanding or emotionally manipulate their readers for reviews). _

_You can all blame my master enabler, shoulder creative devil, and loving sister, GemNika for what you are going to read._

_Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail... if I did, Dom!Lahar would have been a real thing. And for anyone asking, inner Mard is fine, he's cranky at being ignored but has his cold brew coffee, Rosebud body pillow, and I am making him watch Grimm._

_Enoy!_

* * *

_I will take care of you, as long as you let me._

Lucy knew that for Lahar to say something like that, he meant it. There was no going back for either of them, that he was giving her an open-ended invitation to stay in his life. To her it was his way of saying he loved her.

Every day they spent together was tiring and difficult, but she felt at home around him. When she wanted to clean, he'd try to help or just stay out of her way. When she wanted to talk about intellectual pursuits, he'd listen with rapt attention and curiosity. When she made dinner for him, he was always appreciative and never once made a comment if she took seconds.

From all her years of looking for love and trying to understand it, she concluded that this was what love was. It was the place where you were appreciated and adored for being yourself and someone who never judged you or tried to change you for their needs.

Lucy had taken longer to adjust to her team and Fairy Tail than she did taking care of Lahar. Despite him being a bit upset over the situation, they clicked within the first few hours. It was mostly her cleaning and doing math for his reports, but it got them talking. The first night at his house was akin to sitting at home with a good friend who desperately needed a home cooked meal. That first morning, when she saw him shirtless sitting in bed with the diffused sunlight dancing on his skin and hair had her brain turning to jelly.

It also helped that this wasn't their first meeting and she suspected that it meant more to him than her narcotic infused brain would let her remember. All she remembered from that night was a feeling, a feeling of being cared for and wanted. Though being around him, she started remembering other fragments of that night and realized they had a connection, years ago.

This relationship wasn't anything new, not in an emotional sense. It was the return to the beginning, a real life second chance. A second chance to finish what was started and see where things would go.

Where they went was that over the course of the last couple weeks, Lucy fell in love. Fell in love with the Rune Knight who was her equal and opposite. Who cherished her mind and was thankful for everything. Who even got a little jealous when someone else flirted with her, which was kind of strangely adorable to see him bristling.

Lucy lifted her head and saw Lahar sitting near her, his foot not twitching like it was and his face was a mix of shock and worry. His lips pursed with his brows up a little had widened his eyes behind his frameless glasses. Slowly he reached out and gently ran his thumb over her cheek, picking up the bit of moisture.

"You love me?" he asked, his voice a bare whisper.

Lucy tilted her head into his warm hand and closed her eyes, "I know it's sill..." He swiped his thumb over her lips, pressing lightly in the center to stop her from talking.

"Lucy, before you hold firm to that, you need to know something about me." He swallowed and removed his hand, motioning for her to follow him. Lucy got up, rubbing her knees that were a bit sore from the dense carpet and left them with a bumpy texture. She followed him into his bedroom and saw him enter into the walk-in closet.

Lucy stood in the doorway as he traced his finger over the worn brown leather and brass trunk. She'd always been curious about what was in it but figured not to ask. Perhaps she was going to find out that he collected baseball cards or comic books or something. The lid popped open and Lahar closed his eyes.

"No matter what happens, I hope the contents of this trunk and what I'm about to confide to you, stays between us." She saw his hand shake slightly, his voice a little unsteady.

"Assuming it's not trophies of people you're secretly murdering as a vigilante cop," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. Lahar's face didn't change expressions and she nibbled her bottom lip momentarily, "I promise, Lahar and you know what that means for a Celestial Summoner."

"Thank you," he lifted the lid and Lucy stepped closer to him, her eyes went wide at the collection of instruments in there. He had paddles, a black dogging bat, different types of whips, restraints, blindfolds, scarves, gags and anything else she could imagine. It was as if someone dumped an adult store in this trunk and then neatly organized it.

"Lahar, you're a Dom?" she asked, figuring he didn't seem like the submissive type. The Captain liked order too much to hand it over to someone else, that much she knew.

"Yes, I discovered this lifestyle shortly after I became a Rune Knight. I had to interview a Dominatrix after a break in and she talked to me when I became curious," he picked up a well-worn leather and wood paddle, the textured side almost completely smooth and leather cracking. He held it delicately in his hands, his face softening, "I spent months learning from her, I've been a submissive, but I found more fulfillment in being a Dom. The first time I Dominated a woman and she cried and thanked me, I knew this was my passion. This was where I was finding my own gratification, even if I didn't touch them sexually."

"Have you ever?" she asked as she knelt by the trunk and ran her fingers over a folded piece of red silk.

"I have had sexual release with a submissive several times, but only by their request. Outside of scheduled times in a dungeon, I've never," he put away the paddle and took her hand, Lucy looked up at him, "had a submissive who was also a girlfriend or someone I dated. I've never had a deeper relationship that let me have both worlds."

"You think this would scare me?" she asked as she noticed his brows drawing close to each other and his lips tight.

"It would scare most people, it's not a common thing. It's also difficult to admit I have these needs and most people don't understand. They think I just like beating women."

Lucy smiled at him, "I know you would never." She looked over the contents in the chest and sighed, "you're not the first Dom I've met."

"Really?" Lahar looked shocked and a bit dismayed.

"I've never been a submissive or tried this, but Gray is a Dom, Erza is his submissive," she laughed, knowing damn well her teammates would kill her for exposing that secret. They worked so hard to hide that from Natsu, but they couldn't hide it from Lucy. Not when Erza mixed up her times and Lucy showed up a little early one weekend for Girl's Day.

Lahar blinked and then laughed, pulling off his glasses, "I should have seen that."

"After I caught them, they talked to me about BDSM. Gray offered to Dom for me and let me experience it, with Erza's consent, but I was too scared." Lucy looked up at Lahar and took his hand, she placed a kiss to his palm, "I'd be willing to try it with you."

"Lucy," he whispered her name in reverence, it warmed her heart that she could do that to him. "God above knows I want to, but I need to be whole first."

"I understand," she smiled at him and slowly stood up, "though why don't we have that ice cream and we can talk a little more openly about this."

"Are you sure?"

"Lahar, this doesn't change the fact that I fell in love with you. Thank you for showing me this hidden part of you." She said as she squeezed his hand before he lifted their hands and kissed the back of hers.

"No, Lucy, thank you. You have no idea what a gift you gave me," he smiled and looked up at her, his eyes filled with relief.

* * *

They talked the entire night, going well past their usual bedtimes. Lucy was a wondrous bundle of curiosity with an open mind. Her questions were focused and a few times he shared a memory of something, he could see a flicker of jealousy overtake her face. That excited him in ways that it should not have.

She even began writing up a list of things to try and notated aspects that had her nose scrunching and face paling. That was fine with Lahar, the hardcore aspects such as blood play or watersports, had never settled well with him. He even had slight issues with humiliation play, not finding it within himself to verbally tear down someone that far. Lahar also would never do anything that could cause identity loss.

She had passed out in his bed and Lahar went over her little wish list. Different role play styles, bondage, a little pain, spanking was a recurring theme, and sensory deprivation were on the list. Under her "might try" column she had public play, pet play, DD/lg and even a non-committal to watch him Dominate another woman. Lahar wasn't certain about that last one but if she really wanted it, he could be persuaded.

Though, as a test run, he could do something with a two-way mirror and another D/s. See how she reacts to watching or being watched with a measure of protection. There were a few Doms he knew that had submissives who enjoyed the stimulation of being watched or watching. It was a lot to think about and her safe words had him smiling.

Schrödinger, Heisenberg and Kelvin, scientists who dealt with movement, uncertainty and absolute zero. It seemed like such a Lucy choice, but something only he would know about the Celestial mage. She hid her intelligence and passions because her friends didn't understand and often ignored her intellectual ramblings.

Lahar set down the piece of paper, knowing there was going to be more work to do. After his doctor appointment tomorrow, they should pick up a journal, something with a lock and key on it. They could begin a book of scenarios and rules with notes about how it went and what to change. He kept detailed records for all his submissives at the club, which was proving to be useful.

When he was released from the hospital, he had called the club and let them know what happened. Lahar gave Beatrix the combination to his locker and asked her to please take care of his submissives for him. He could still hear the sadness in her voice as they talked, feeling a cold stabbing of reality hit him at that moment. He'd lost this part of himself, if he never walked again this part of Lahar Sterling Morrigan was dead.

Lucy rolled into him and he pushed back her blonde hair, looking at her sleeping face. He didn't deserve her, and he knew that. She had surprised him tonight and something told him she would move Heaven and Hell to give him this part of himself back. That she could overlook the wheelchair and creatively figure out ways to let him be a Dom even if his legs didn't work. Her mind was simply that brilliant and creative.

"I love you," he whispered, gently touching her cheek, "thank you." Lahar didn't think he'd ever thank her enough for any of this. Even a glimmer of hope was more than he had, his leg spasmed again and he sighed, enjoying the alien feeling for what it was. Hope.

Lahar turned off the brass and cream lamp before sliding down into the covers a bit more. He closed his eyes and with a jerky unpracticed movement, managed to roll to his side with his lower body cooperating in the act. He gathered Lucy in his arms, her head resting under his chin as she snuggled into him, draping her leg over his.

"Mmm, night Captain," she whispered drowsily.

"Good night, Lucy," he replied before closing his eyes and finally at peace with his life and himself, holding on to his precious mage, Lahar fell asleep.

Sleep always felt too short when he woke up the next morning by way of the infernal device. Lucy squirmed in his arms and half crawled over him, putting her breasts in his face as she turned off the tinny sounding alarm. Lahar was not going to complain about this moment and instead found himself mindlessly opening his mouth to take a soft nibble of her right breast through the t-shirt.

"Oh," Lucy let out in surprise as she pulled back, giving him a chance to breathe again. She giggled, "good morning."

"Morning," he replied and curled his finger at her. Lucy smiled and leaned in, kissing him lightly on the lips.

There was something about this morning that felt like a truly new day. Maybe it was seeing and kissing Lucy, or maybe it was because of the wonderful night before the new day. _Combination of both_, he surmised.

"Were you planning on going to Headquarters today or not because of the doctor's appointment?" she asked.

Lahar had to think over his schedule, he couldn't think of any pressing meetings that he needed to attend. "I think I'll take the day off, I only have about six more months of vacation and sick leave left."

"Wow," she said, and he shrugged.

"Until this, I had only one sick day in my eight years as a Rune Knight," he replied.

"No vacations?" she asked as she stretched her hands over her head and Lahar watched the t-shirt lift a little to show off her flat stomach.

"Never had a reason to take one," he said and realized how pathetic that sounded.

"I understand that, as a working mage, who often got shortchanged on the bounties, taking a day off was not an option."

Lahar leaned forward and gently touched the side of her neck, "I figured you would understand."

"Alright, let me get the shower started, your personal communication device should be in the charging dock," Lucy lipped out of the bed and Lahar hated to see her go but on those little navy boy shorts, he didn't mind watching her walk away.

He looked down and noticed that he had another erection, though he didn't fully feel it, least he was having one. Not concerned with it at this moment, he reached for his device and called his superior letting the elder man know that he was taking a personal day. After assuring the man that yes, this was Lahar, his superior told him to take the week and he would handle the first round of Mest replacement interviews.

Lahar tried to protest the idea of a full week off, but the Commander assured him that they would survive one week without his expert paperwork skills. The Captain doubted that, but something told him to not argue with his superior officer. When the call was finished, he put the device back in the black dock and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

He could barely feel them and wanted to try at least standing but nixed the idea when he knew he shouldn't try to do too much this soon. That and the nurse told them last night to not try any kind of walking. Least his wheelchair was in the usual place and Lahar scooted over to it.

As he got into the bathroom, Lucy was testing the water and she smiled at him. "All set," she said, flicking off the water from her arm.

Lahar pursed his lips for a moment, "Lucy, feel free to answer this in any way you are comfortable with," he wheeled towards the shower, concentrating on putting his wheelchair in the right place before he looked up at her. "Would you like to shower with me?"

Her eyes got wide for a moment as she looked him up and down, "nothing kinky?"

Lahar pushed up his glasses, "not unless you want to. Just showering."

"I can do that," she said, and he could tell that she felt a bit of relief. Last thing he'd want to do would be to make her feel obligated to do anything she wasn't ready for. Talking about something in planning was different than reality.

Lucy leaned over him and tucked her fingers into the waistband of his sleep pants. This was the first time she'd assisted in undressing him and Lahar gave her a nod before he pushed up, lifting his hips a little as she pulled down the cotton material. His erection sprang free and he looked away, trying to be as nonchalant about it as he could. Lucy however fell back on her butt and stared at him with an open mouth and wide eyes.

Going with the moment, Lahar decided to test out something, he looked over his glasses at her, "I didn't give you permission to ogle me, Miss Heartfilia," he said, reaching into his darker, sharper voice.

Lucy closed her mouth, "sorry."

"Sorry what?" he asked, keeping himself still and carefully watching her reactions.

She nibbled her bottom lip and looked down at her fingers. The sound of the shower was the only sound in the room and Lahar mentally counted backwards from twenty, trying to see if she understood this little unscripted test play.

When he hit five, her eyes sparkled and she smiled at him, "sorry, Captain."

He nodded, "very good." Lahar went through the usual motion of pulling himself into the shower chair and looked to the side, watching Lucy as she took off her own pajamas.

He'd never seen her naked and as he gazed upon her elegant form, he mindlessly grabbed his cock. She stepped into the shower and leaned down behind him, "are we playing?"

"If you want, I was merely testing out my voice with you and seeing how you'd react to a little verbal direction," he said as she ran her hands across his shoulders.

"I like it, please continue, Captain," she whispered before she kissed his cheek.

"Now then, Miss Heartfilia, wash me," he commanded. Lucy went to work, starting with shampooing his hair before she took care of the rest of his body. He didn't say anything when she didn't touch his member, that was up to her to decide if she'd like to assist him with that.

"I believe you have done well, now straddle my thighs," he said and could feel her hesitation. "Just my thighs, not my dick, Miss Heartfilia."

"Yes, Captain," she said and dear God if the word Captain hadn't ever sounded this wonderful in his life.

As she sat upon his legs, the water cascading down her body and nipples pert, all but screaming for his attention. He also got a decent view of her pink flesh, even noticing that it was a little extra wet. Lahar grabbed her hips and slid her forward, pressing her against his hard-on, they both hissed at the feeling.

He said nothing as he took the shampoo bottle and poured some out before he washed her hair. Lahar watched how she moved while he massaged her scalp, washing her with careful deliberate slowness. Lucy's eyes were closed as her head dipped back and her hands rested upon his shoulders.

"Would you like me to wash your body next?" he asked, making sure she was fine with him touching her more.

"Please, Captain," she said, her voice a little airy and eyes a richer brown than before. She trembled a little as she looked at him before licking her bottom lip.

Lahar smiled, "it's okay to kiss me. I'm not going to stop you - this time - from doing or exploring what you want."

Lucy kissed him, as her sex rubbed up against his own, when she moaned, he took the opportunity to stick his tongue in her mouth to deepen the kiss. His hands held on to her waist as she rocked against him. Lahar pulled back, leaving her looking stunned for a moment, "I want to see you ride me, bury my cock deep into you and watch you lose yourself to the pleasure."

"Lahar," she whispered before she looked away and he cupped her cheek.

"What I want, and any dirty talk doesn't have to be taken seriously, Lucy. I can finish washing you, if you are still okay with that," he said, adjusting his voice to be soothing. She would always have the option, and the sooner he made that clear to her the better things would be for them in the long run.

The water started to cool, and Lucy leaned back to turn it off before she looked at him. Her cheeks were flushed with a delicate pink as she looked down upon him. Lahar waited, keeping himself still until she decided.

* * *

Lucy wanted this, when he said to ride him, she was more than tempted. The whole time she was with him, she knew there was more to Lahar than he showed and looking at him had left her anxious. Her pussy tightened and clit pulsed as she looked at him.

His hair wet and plastered to his skull as drops of water skimmed down ropey muscles under flawless pale skin. Lahar's amethyst eyes sparkled in desire; his mouth curved into a sensual smile that promised her every fantasy come to life. His dick twitched and she swallowed looking at it, the flared dark pink head and long thick column of rigid flesh was beckoning her to do as she wanted.

Yet through it all, he worried more about her comfort and that left her smiling at him, like the lovesick idiot she kind of was for him. His sexual prowess was not lost on her, feeling his aura skittered all over her skin had left more of a chill down her spine than the cool air in the bathroom.

"Lahar, I…" her voice trailed off, his thumbs moved against her sides.

"Just tell me, I won't laugh or demean you. If it's in my power, I would give you the moon."

Lucy smiled, "be awkward for tides if you did that, also…" she put her hands over her mouth realizing she was about to explain all the mathematics and science of what would happen if the moon did come to Earth Land.

Lahar chuckled, "you really want to tell me all about gravity, orbital speeds, and the necessity of the moon, don't you?" She nodded and he leaned forward, kissing her cheek, "what would you say if I found that to be delicious and my dick couldn't get any harder?"

It pulsed between their slick bodies and without thinking, Lucy grabbed it. Lahar sucked in a breath through his teeth and she saw him tremble. That look in his face had Lucy feeling more powerful than she'd felt before. This dominating man was unraveling slowly before her and all she had to do was be herself?

It was freeing.

It was erotic.

It was Lahar.

"Go on, Miss Heartfilia, I said you had this moment, explore what you want." His voice was soothing, deep and a little thick, it wrapped around her.

"You might have to help," she replied, and Lahar adjusted his hands under her ass as Lucy tried for footing in the bathtub. Being short was not helping her in this instance but when Lahar lifted her with ease, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She'd almost forgotten how strong he was from months of only using his arms to move around.

She thought he'd lower her down on him, but Lahar held her up and kept looking into his eyes. "How do you want it?"

Lucy thought it was so considerate, that he was thinking of her before his own needs. It turned her on even more, "slow, I want to feel you."

He hummed in approval as he slowly lowered her upon his waiting dick. Lucy let out a low moan as she stretched and burned to take him in. Lahar was huge, his dick a little longer than average but the girth of it was unreal. She wasn't certain if she could walk after this, hopefully his wheelchair could fit the two of them.

She felt the hairs of his thighs touch the back of her legs and Lucy willed herself to relax. Lahar used that moment to kiss her again as his hands cupped her breasts, gently teasing her stiff nipples. Lucy hadn't felt a burn like this in so long, it was too good, and she moved slightly to adjust.

Lahar kept kissing her as he played with her body and she squirmed in his lap, feeling herself loosen a little around him. She rolled her hips a little, forcing both to let out harsh breaths and interrupt their kiss. Lahar let go of her breasts and lifted her again. His rigid length inside of her hit every bit of her being, when he almost came out, he slowly bright her back down. He moved her as if she weighed nothing and Lucy's head swam to feel him take her again.

Their eyes were locked as he continued the slower movements, taking her high and bringing her down. It was a slow burning torture that was heating her up even with the cool air lapping at her wet skin.

"Faster?" he asked, and she nodded.

Lucy raked her fingers through his wet hair as her knees pressed along his waist. She leaned back a little and realized that when she did, he hit even deeper, it tore a wanton moan from her mouth. A sound she had never made before.

Lahar leaned forward, burying his head into her neck to graze his teeth along the sensitive skin. His hot breath trickled down her back as his arms moved her in a flurry of movements. He was breathing hard, mumbling about how she felt as he kept impaling her upon his cock.

Lucy could barely think, the pressure building up inside of her as he kept hitting that sweet spot. It was almost enough to make her orgasm around him, and she barely had enough thought to form anything over a syllable.

Her incoherent mutterings and the sound of skin slapping echoed in the light blue and white bathroom as they fucked upon his stool. Lahar ran his tongue up her neck before he bit her jaw, light enough to feel good and hard enough to make her whisper his name.

"Touch yourself, I want to f-feel you," he said, his voice breathy. Lucy let go of his hair and put her hand between her legs, circling her nub and feeling him connected to her.

More pressure built inside of her and Lucy thought she was going to explode. His movements and her fingers had left her gasping for air and any sense of logic. Her toes curled as her adrenaline started spiking and her stomach tightened.

"Lah...Lahar...oh...ngh…" she managed as bursts of white stars gathered behind her eyes and she orgasmed. She could feel herself squirt all over her fingers and his lap, as she trembled from her release. Lucy was certain she died a little in the sheer bliss of feeling him and didn't regret this a single bit.

Lahar began to shake before he lifted off of her and ribbons of his orgasm, splattered between them. He drew in short sharp breaths as he held her to him, shaking through everything. Those strong arms held her tight as they fought to regain themselves and come down from their lovers high.

As he placed light kisses to her shoulder, Lucy felt him start to fall back. She heard a loud snap and suddenly Lahar fell back, his head hitting the tub with Lucy splayed on top of him. Lahar groaned as Lucy panicked and scrambled off him. She tried to help him up and suddenly he laughed.

She knew he hit his head, but that must have scrambled something. Lucy tried to help him up and Lahar got to sitting as she checked his head for bumps and checked his back to make sure that none of the white plastic bits had cut him.

"Lucy, I'm fine, the stool isn't that high," he said.

"You hit your head," she said her voice laced with worry. She also figured that it was her luck, mind blowing orgasm and then kill her partner in a shower fall. There wasn't even a chance for a few seconds to enjoy the post sex high.

She kept hovering over him, and Lahar shooed her away, "honestly Lucy, remember I survived a building falling on me. I can handle a stool breaking. Though we must get a new one. Maybe something in rust resistant steel."

Lucy looked at him and Lahar looked to be in good spirits about this. In fact, she hadn't seen him look this relaxed and happy and laughing… well ever. It was enough that she started laughing along with him, leaning over the edge of the white tub and pressing her forehead into his shoulder.

They shared the moment for a minute before she got him out of the tub and into his wheelchair, with a towel put on it before handing him a second one. Lucy wrapped herself in one of the fluffy navy ones, "do you at least want some aspirin?"

"If I develop a headache, then yes. So please make sure you have a couple in your bag."

"Yes, Captain," she said, and he looked up at her before grabbing his glasses that were balancing on the black armrest.

"Miss Heartfilia are you trying to tempt me into breaking more furniture with you?" he said before he licked his lips and flashed her a heart-stopping-panty-melting smile.

She looked away, felt the heat rise on her cheeks and spread across her chest before she decided that Lahar was a very dangerous man. Lucy left the bathroom; she could hear him chuckle as she went for her room to get dressed for the doctor's appointment. Also, to take a few minutes to calm down her erratic heartbeat.

As she shut the door, she leaned against it, "I just fucked, Lahar," she whispered. She smiled a bit more as she felt a bit of soreness between her legs, "I just got fucked by Lahar," Lucy said with a bit more force and danced a little.

Goddess above she had never pictured that happening when she answered that want ad. Damn, she was glad she did and the fact she took a chance on him. She knew she was grinning like a mad idiot, but she had zero fucks to give at that. Lucy just had some of the most mind-blowing sex of her life and without saying it she knew this was only the start.

* * *

_Alright! Little steamy shower sex, cause reasons. Please review, fave, and follow! Thank you for all the support so far and I'm glad you're enjoying this story._


	5. Shadows of the Past

_Before we get into this chapter, I want to address my Guest reviewer_

_Guest, a few things to think about._

_If Natsu knew about the relationship, unless Lucy magically has telepathy or he directly said something, how exactly would she know if he knew or not? She said they were trying to hide it, I never said if they were successful and again Lucy wouldn't know if Natsu/Erza/Gray didn't say anything to her._

_Also, she said TWICE, she never tried BDSM and was too scared to try it when Gray offered. So how exactly does that translate to a three-way relationship? Knowing about a relationship and being an active member of one… is a very different thing._

_Just because Natsu has heightened senses, you're forgetting some very big things. One, he doesn't know what EVERYTHING smells like. Like when you walk into a new place and you scrunch your nose and ask, "what's that smell?" You think he's going to magically know what everyone's sexual release smells like? What kind of sicko do you think he is? Two, I never said their BDSM relationship had a sexual component to it. Since you clearly don't understand the lifestyle, I'll explain. BDSM does not always mean sex (which is why Lucy directly asked Lahar if he'd ever had sex with his submissives, even then he said he's had sexual release, that doesn't mean he actually fucked them), so unless Natsu can magically smell some paddle marks on Erza's ass, he isn't going to know solely based on his heightened senses._

_They are all completely virgins... It's fanfiction, if I want to write them as adults who are not some innocent virgins, that's what I do. If you want them as virgins, no one is stopping you from writing a story about them being innocent little virgins who blush and freak out over any little sexual innuendo._

_Okay I'm done and I hope that helps. Now onto the story!_

* * *

Lahar was sitting up on the examination table, his legs dangling off the side. Lucy was reading one of the medical magazines in the corner. The room was a bit cold and the only sound was the wall clock ticking away seconds. He looked over at Lucy, watching her brows knit together and her teeth latched on to her bottom lip, as she was reading.

"Interesting article?" he asked as he pushed up his glasses and refrained from checking the time, again.

"Neuroscience isn't one of my stronger subjects, but I'm always fascinated by it. This article is a bit of a deep dive on the difference between neuro electrical and neurochemical imbalances in the mentally ill. Which is why certain disorders are treated, off the books, with drugs designed for chemical or electrical alterations." She said as she turned the page and crossed her legs. Her skirt rose up her thigh a little and all Lahar could think about was wishing his legs could do the same simple movement.

He looked at the clock, one hour had passed since his tests were done. Lahar wondered why it always took so long to get the results. The doctor would still be looking at them when he came in and even then, he'd explain it in less than three minutes. He had no idea, he wasn't a…

"Lucy, question," he stated.

"One second, almost done, sorry this is taking a bit," she said, and Lahar drummed his fingers on the paper covering the beige faux-leather table. He knew she was a speed reader and if this was her taking her time, it had to be a very clinical article. Lahar had seen her tear through a hundred-thousand-word book in under three hours and have an in-depth understanding of it.

After a minute, she put away the magazine and looked up at him, her brown eyes shimmering in the fluorescent light. "Okay, what's the question?"

"Why do these things always take so long?" he asked.

Lucy chuckled, "multitude of reasons, I can't speak for medical practices but from a scientist's perspective. Let's say I was measuring something simple, like magnetic reconnection. Which is when highly twisted magnetic field structures become too stressed and realign into a less tense configuration."

"This is your idea of simple?" he teased.

"I know you can follow," she said with a flirty wink. Lahar nodded and felt a bit of pride that his very intelligent girlfriend had faith that he was any kind of academic. He was well-read on various topics, mostly military history, magical writing, and some anthropology, but not at the same level she was in her sciences.

"I get back my measurements, which take a while for the system to process, at first glance I may see a certain pattern that looks akin to the same rate you would see before the Sun has a Coronal Mass Ejection." She took in a breath, "so to verify I ask a colleague, who knows a bit more about coronal events. I wait for him to review and then he gives me an answer. We discuss. By then a couple hours had gone by."

Lahar pursed his lips, "that would make sense. Wait for the imaging to finish, review, ask a colleague or specialist and then talk to the patient."

She nodded, "would you be happy if your doctor came back quickly and lacked any solid answers or at least a working theory?"

"No," he shook his head, "I just despise being here."

Lucy got up from her little blue and metal chair and walked over to him. She took his hand, "I know, you've spent enough time in doctors' offices."

Lahar smiled and gently touched her arm, "now that I have something more wonderful to focus on, seems like a waste."

"You're such a flirt, Captain," she said with a bit of pink dusting her cheeks.

He arched a brow, "now who is flirting, Miss Heartfilia?"

She giggled, "you know it's kind of sexy when you say Miss Heartfilia."

"Originally you said it sounded like I was going to put you in cuffs."

"And now I know you will," she laughed as her hand squeezed his, "just not to take me to jail."

"Touché," he replied, enjoying the banter with her. Lucy was easy to talk to and he appreciated that about her. Now that he had a bit more of a license to flirt with her, it was much more interesting.

They chatted for a few more minutes, a little light flirting and some very promising innuendoes being tossed around. There was a knock at the door and the doctor came in. He was a short, slightly plump, older man with too much hair on his face and not enough on his head. He smiled as he came into the room, holding on to a large envelope and a clipboard.

"Sorry about the wait, needed a consult," he said, and Lucy flashed Lahar a kind of _told-you-so_ smile.

"My girlfriend was just explaining the process scientists go through," Lahar said with a little pride.

"Oh, what kind of science, sweetheart?" The doctor asked with a stupid smile on his face as he put up a few images to the lightbox.

Lucy bristled for a moment, her body shaking before she let out a breath and smiled. It was a kind of smile that had Lahar leaning back, it promised death by sugar. "Astrophysics, I was talking about analyzing the data from the Sun's lower corona to determine the size of an event caused by magnetic reconnection. You know solar flares or CME, basic stuff, really doctor."

Lahar tried to not laugh as the doctor's mouth opened, closed and opened again, making him look like a bearded fish. He turned red for a moment and cleared his throat. "Sorry, I asked."

"You should be sorry you assumed anything about me." Lucy let out an annoyed puff of air, pushing her bangs up for a moment, "sweetheart, really?"

Lahar couldn't hold it in and started laughing at the scene. He loved it when Lucy let someone have it for trying to treat her like a dumb blonde. The first time he saw it was at work when one of the Rune Knights questioned her math. Lucy then took out a piece of paper and started writing out the first axiom of Kolmogorov Axioms, explaining its implication in physics and probability. The Rune Knight high tailed it out of his office, and after that no one ever questioned Lucy's math. Though a few times, for a lark, some of the men would ask her math questions and see if she was faster than their calculators.

"I'm sorry, shall we go over the results?" he asked, trying to salvage any kind of face in this situation.

"What is going on?" Lahar asked, keeping his arm around Lucy and resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"Your nerves are fine; we couldn't explain why you felt nothing. The imaging here shows uninterrupted impulses," the doctor pointed to the images, which looked like a collection of illuminated lines running through his lower body. He pursed his lips, "I think we should talk about…"

Lahar let go of Lucy and put up his hand, "I am not insane, doctor."

"No one said you are, but you have been through a traumatic event. A talk with a psychiatrist could help unpack what is going on."

"Lucy, get my wheelchair," he said, cutting off this conversation. Lucy quietly moved the black and silver device to him, and Lahar managed the small drop into it.

"Please, Mr. Morrigan, we are only trying to help and not insult you."

"My legs do not work properly. I have had a building fall on me, three surgeries on my spinal column and two months in traction. I am mentally well within my own faculties. This is about my legs!" Lahar started wheeling out of the room and Lucy jumped ahead to get the door for him.

As he moved into the hallway all he could do was scowl at the nurses moving out of his way. How could that doctor start this again? Claiming he had some kind of mental illness. Did the doctor not understand how insulting that was?

Lahar moved through the small clinic, trying to be careful of the people in there, but he didn't care. He had to be out of that building and away from that crackpot who thought him, of all people, was insane.

Lahar knew insanity and he was not it. He didn't need to talk to anyone about that night in the Magic Council headquarters. He didn't need to unpack the events of being flung across a room and smashing into a marble column before a piece of the ceiling fell on him. He didn't need to talk about the pain or the fear of his own death. Lahar lived, that was what mattered.

He kept moving towards his home, sick and tired of being compared to her. That's what all of this was about. It wasn't him, it was _her_.

* * *

"Here," the doctor put a business card in Lucy's hand, "she specializes in difficult cases like Lahar. She's the best, please." He begged.

"I'll try," she said earnestly before running after Lahar. When he was angry or determined to be somewhere, he could practically fly in that thing.

Lucy breezed through the small clinic, making quick apologies as she chased Lahar. Nurses chuckled at the pair and she didn't pay much attention. Her sole focus was to calm down her very upset Captain.

He had his pride and Lucy knew that, hard enough to be in a wheelchair and not feel whole, it's another to be told to seek help. She knew what the doctor was trying to say, and he was trying to be delicate, but Lahar took it as an insult all the same. Lucy didn't even know if she could reason with him, whatever issue he had with a psychiatrist must have been deeper than he let on.

She caught up to him at the street corner, he was breathing hard and his forehead dotted in sweat. Lucy bent over and quietly pressed her pink cotton handkerchief to his forehead before she placed a gentle kiss.

"I'm not insane," he muttered.

"I know," she said, wanting to say more but knew that the timing was wrong. She had to get him home where he could have whatever kind of emotional outburst he needed, in peace. "Let's go home."

Lahar sighed, "you wanted to go to the park after."

The light changed and they started to cross the street, "we have the rest of the week. I'm sure there will be another nice sunny day for it." Lucy was trying to stay positive for his sake, though inside she wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him in her rage.

They went another couple blocks in silence before Lahar turned right instead of left. She had no idea where they were going, but as they walked it went from a commercial district to more of an industrial one. They passed by a large looking factory with high chain link fences and men in overalls having lunch in a receiving bay.

The area started becoming more run down and she shivered as suspicious looking people eyed her. Lahar didn't seem worried, he looked more to be on a mission to get somewhere. Lucy tried to concentrate on watching where she was stepping, more than her surroundings. Least if anything Lahar had observation as a super skill.

They stopped before a large building that for each window in tact five were boarded or completely gone. The front walkway was overgrown, and the white porch was in a sad state of disrepair from the paint chips and broken boards. She saw a sign that was dangling by a rusted bolt, _Bemtrane Asylum_.

Lucy sucked in a breath, she'd heard of this place, it was said they invented the ice pick lobotomy here and many other stories of ill-fated psychiatric practices. As far as she knew this place was closed by the King of Fiore about fifteen years ago. Judging by how it looked, she figured it to be right.

Lahar looked up at the place and sighed before he took off his glasses and pinched his forehead. He took in a breath and shuddered before he put on his glasses and looked up at her. "I was born here; my mother was a resident."

Lucy covered her mouth to muffle her startled sounds. Her eyes going wide as she looked at Lahar. His amethyst eyes were lost, practically cloudy as he stared through her. His voice a whisper, "she was schizophrenic and one of her high school teachers took advantage of her."

"Lahar…" Lucy whispered.

"I've never met him, he died in prison," Lahar looked up at one of the broken windows, "my mother committed suicide in this place when I was six." He let out a pained sigh, "I barely remember her. My grandparents raised me," his voice was solemn and barely audible. Lucy reached out for his hand and he took it, squeezing her fingers gently.

Several minutes passed as Lahar kept a hold on her hand. His lips tight and eyes looking down at the ground as his shoulders lowered. He didn't look like the usually stoic and prideful man, he looked lost. Lucy didn't know what to do, and very carefully squatted down to look up at him. She wanted him to be able to see her and know that she was here for him.

Lahar finally spoke again, his voice a little choked up, "I remember her eyes, because they were like mine. I remember on her good days; she would tell me stories and make me laugh." He held a slight smile for a few seconds before the corners of his mouth fell, "on her bad days she thought I was an evil entity who replaced her real child." Lahar let out a harsh breath through his nose, "so I cannot be crazy. I'm not her."

To her this explained his issues with dealing with mental illness. He'd already dealt with misconceptions about being a Dom and she'd heard how Rune knights could snicker about him behind his back. Lahar was such a complicated man, with his own strengths and weaknesses. He never deserved anyone trying to fit him into a neat little label and she knew that. She appreciated that most about him

Lucy smiled at him, her mind having an idea on how to explain this to him., "Lahar, you know how there's a scale on murder?"

"Lucy," she put her fingertip to his lips.

"Seeing a psychiatrist doesn't mean you are crazy, only that you need some help. Mental illness is very nuanced, what your mother had was very severe. What the doctor was suggesting is more like third degree reckless manslaughter." She figured this might be the best analogy for him, even if she felt like an idiot taking something so heavy and condensing it down.

"You want me to go?" he asked as a gust of wind blew by them. She saw movement out the corner of her eye and realized it was just the swaying loose climbing ivy around the awning.

"I want you to tell someone, who can help, about the explosion. Tell them about how you don't feel whole and all the stresses of your life. Get an expert opinion and a little assistance."

"And if…"

Lucy touched his cheek, "if you're crazy, we can handle that too. I mean, I already do." She tried for a moment of levity, and realized it fell flat when his head lowered, and he let go of her hand.

She stood there, feeling a creepy kind of chill run all over her skin. Lucy almost thought she was being watched and for a second thought she saw movement in one of the dirty windows. As she blinked and looked, it was gone. Of course, she might also be telling herself ghost stories.

"You really do and yet you love me," he said as he looked up at her with a delicate smile.

"Yes, I love you and no matter what a psychiatrist says, I would still love you. Please, Lahar, just try it. I don't think we can do this on our own anymore." Lucy felt a phantom throbbing in her cheek and made no motion to touch it, knowing it would really hurt Lahar to have that reminder.

"I don't ever want to be in a place like this," he said as he looked over at the dilapidated brick building.

"That won't happen, I highly doubt you'll need to be hospitalized."

Lahar swallowed, "Lucy do you think the doctor is suggesting this because of my mother's history?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "this isn't my field of knowledge. It's possible, but it's also possible the doctor is concerned because of what you went through. Very few people would ever survive a building falling on them. Also, your profession doesn't help, not with all the evil you see or handle."

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek and looked down, "Lahar, how many people know about your mother?"

"My grandparents and for medical reasons, doctors. Why?"

"How do you feel about telling me?" she asked.

* * *

Lahar took in a deep breath through his nose and tried to sort through his mental state. He was scared, relieved, and hopeful. That was his final secret, the last little piece of him and he handed it to her. Part of him knew Lucy would understand his situation, if he brought her here. A small part of him was surprised that she now had him considering the idea of seeing a psychiatrist. It also helped that Lucy knew how to talk to him, without patronizing him.

He respected her opinions because she made them with a very specific recipe. 2 parts logic, 1-part emotion and a sprinkling of all her heart. He'd never met anyone like her that could do something so wonderful. She'd even managed to help him understand that maybe he was having problems, but he would not be his mother.

How did he feel? She deserved an answer to that, and Lahar smiled at her, "scared and relieved. So far you've handled things that anyone else would have ran away from me for."

Lucy shrugged, "you trust me enough to tell me. Everyone else you've just assumed they couldn't be trusted or would have a negative opinion about you. What about Mest?"

"Lucy, what does this have to do with anything?"

She looked up at the building, "I bet your mom was the same way. Probably too scared to tell anyone what was happening before she had a psychotic break." Her large brown eyes looked into his, "you can't do that to yourself Lahar. You've had trauma, you need a hand up. You need someone who can objectively listen to you and guide you without preconceptions."

Lahar pursed his lips, "I thought this wasn't your specialty of study."

Lucy let out a nervous laugh as she stood up from her squatting position. He didn't say much as she came around and put her hands on the handles at the back of his chair. Lahar figured she must want to leave, and he couldn't blame her, this place had gone to hell.

When he was a kid, the area was built up a little nicer. The other buildings were various medical complexes and a teaching hospital. He was never scared to be here before. Now he noticed a new kind of malaise in the air and started to consider Lucy's safety. He could admit that had he not been in a hurry to tell her about this, he would have planned this better. As they walked, he traced a few runes on the armrest of his wheelchair, constructing a protection bubble around both.

"It isn't, but a few times after some risky missions and watching my own future self die," she sighed, "Mira has a friend who deals with mages. I've spoken to him many times when I need to get myself back together."

"So, you've tried therapy?" he asked, finding it wonderful that she was candid with him.

"Yes, and it helped, let me work through many issues and understand myself a little better."

"Does it change you?" he asked, a little scared of the answer.

"It helps change your thinking about your feelings, thoughts, impulses, and what you internalize. No, it won't change who you are at your core. You become more aware."

"I need to think about it, Lucy, this is a difficult topic," he said, relaxing a little in the chair as they started getting out of the rundown neighborhood.

"It is, but at least we had the conversation," Lucy added, her voice light and Lahar could feel the optimism and pride coming from her.

"True, thank you."

"You're welcome, now let's get home and do something fun."

Lahar looked over his shoulder, "you're going to destroy me in Scrabble again, aren't you?"

Lucy giggled, "I was thinking Trivia Pursuit but Scrabble works."

As they came back into a more familiar neighborhood, Lahar felt as if he could relax a little. He was no longer staring at the shadows of his past or a place that had brought him much misery. When the asylum was closed, he felt as if he could breathe again. That place would never harm another person and to mark the occasion he put extra flowers on his mother's and grandparent's graves.

As he thought about his life, perhaps it was simply his time to talk to someone about all of it. Opening to Lucy the last couple days had helped him, but it wouldn't be fair to unload everything upon her slim shoulders. She already had much to deal with and Lahar would rather have another building collapse on him, rather than do anything that could hurt her.

He got the feeling she was happy to listen but wasn't confident that she would have the answers he needed. If his problem was mental a specialist would be in order, much like how he wouldn't see a dentist for an orthopedic issue. Now all he had to do was work up the courage to go see a psychiatrist.

As they continued, the silence was comforting, and Lahar was lost in his thoughts. There were a million things to consider, including if this would harm him at work. Would they take away his rank or deny him one because he had to see a shrink? Lahar didn't think so, if they were going to, they had plenty of reasons with him being in a wheelchair for six months.

He knew the Rune Knights employed several psychologists and many younger cadets made use of them. Usually after particularly nasty run-ins with mental augmentation mages or grizzly murderers as a rule. If a Rune Knight had to dispatch a dark mage, it was an automatic six sessions of therapy and an evaluation for handling the taking of a human life. To date, Lahar had never killed anyone and usually only tolerated the bi-annually psych evaluation.

It was heavy on his mind, what if he was told he couldn't go back to doing what he loved? What would he do with his life? Lahar had never seen himself as anything but a Rune Knight. Even as a small boy he never fancied another career option. His standard Halloween costume for years was a Rune Knight uniform his grandmother had made for him.

"Lucy, have you always wanted to be a working mage?" he asked.

"Hmmm?" she made the non-committal sound as they stopped at another street corner. "Yes and no. I wanted to be a mage, like my mother, but also wanted to be a scientist. When I became a teenager, I longed for the freedom of being Fairy Tail. They always looked so amazing and they really are. I miss them." Lucy let out a heavy sigh before she started to push him again. Lahar normally would have told her that she didn't need to do this, but today had been mentally and emotionally challenging for both. If she wanted to handle this, he'd let her and if she stopped, he could wheel himself.

"If Fairy Tail doesn't come back, what do you picture yourself doing?" he asked as they walked by the florist shop. He noticed all the beautiful pink and white lilies in the window. Tomorrow he should get her a bouquet, just to express his gratitude.

"I'm still working on my novel, but I'm certain that's more of a hobby than a profession. I could see myself joining the Royal Academy of Science and maybe getting a chance to travel to various planetariums doing more research." She let out a laugh, "eventually I'd like a family of my own, but not right now. What about you?"

"I don't know, I never thought about anything other than being a Rune Knight." Lahar pursed his lips, maybe he was just hopeless.

"I could see you as a teacher, maybe you could teach at the Rune Knight Academy or in the Criminal Justice studies at Era University."

"I don't think I have the temperament for that," he said.

"What commanding attention, so people listen to you, answering reasonable intelligent questions, and quickly pointing out where other people make mistakes?"

Lahar and Lucy both laughed, she had a very good point and knew him well. That little bit of humor had elevated his mood considerably and the day was getting better as it stretched on. He'd felt as if he was strapped to a roller coaster these last few days. Having dug into emotional vulnerabilities, he thought were long dead and gone.

They were coming up on the small grocers a few blocks from his home. Outside they had some wonderful looking fruit displays, blood oranges were finally at a decent price. "Lucy, mind if we stop and pick up some fruit?"

"Not at all," she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

* * *

**As always, please review, fave and follow.**


	6. Cappy go Sleepy

The door opened and Lahar looked over his shoulder at Lucy sitting on the plain blue couch. She blew him a kiss and he gave her a small nod before wheeling himself into the office.

The office was heavily decorated, from kids drawings in cheap frames to bookcases bowing from the weight of books and a large fish tank eating up half the wall behind a comfy worn looking couch. The middle aged woman took a seat behind her desk and pulled out a yellow legal pad, she gripped her fountain pen as her keen eyes studied him.

Lahar looked her over, meeting her gaze and holding his lips in a neutral line. His hands tightened around the black arms of his wheelchair to prevent himself from pushing up his glasses. She looked…

Normal.

Casual clothing of a good quality, salt and pepper hair pulled back into a low ponytail and steely grey eyes. She said nothing and barely moved as she scribbled without watching her hand. Lahar held still, and kept trying to keep his breathing even in the weighted silence of the room.

After a moment she stopped writing, "you can leave now."

Lahar blinked, "excuse me?"

She set down her pen and leaned back in the oversized maroon desk chair. "I can't help you."

"You don't even know me," he said, hearing the faux leather crackle under his now sweaty palms.

"You don't want to be here," she pointed out, "you don't even know what my name is."

Lahar looked around at the plaques on the wall and back to her, noticing how she had an almost satisfied look to her face. She was mocking him? His lips pulled down in a small scowl and he moved his hands to the wheels.

"She won't forgive you if you leave," the doctor opined and Lahar let go of his wheels to stare at her.

"You don't know Lucy, she understands," Lahar said with certainty.

The doctor snorted, "she doesn't look like a quitter to me. Must be hard for someone as intelligent as her with someone as stupid as you."

"How would you know?" he snapped.

"I saw her waiting room book and considering how comfortable she looked, the book was easy reading for her. I know highly regarded scholars who could barely understand quantum mechanics, let alone a comprehensive review of multiverse string theory."

"And myself being stupid?" he asked.

"A man who doesn't know himself is but a fool in the mirror," she shrugged, looking a bit smug and Lahar hated her even more. How dare she insult him?

"I know myself quite well," he said.

"Great," she snapped her fingers, "then walk."

Lahar let out a harsh breath, "don't you think I want to? I have had multiple…"

"Surgeries, two months in traction, four months of physical therapy three times a week," she interrupted. "I have read your boring file."

"Are you trying to upset me? Isn't your job to make these useless," his leg twitched, "legs do more than that."

"Do they do that when you are feeling an elevated emotion?" she asked.

Lahar pushed up his glasses before he started rubbing his spasming thigh. "Sometimes."

"So when your emotions force you into the present, okay. But go on, keep saying it's a physical problem." she said waving a dismissive hand towards him before picking up her fountain pen again.

"Are you always this rude?" he asked.

"I am when confronted with someone who has decided to hate being here without trying. I don't like quitters Mr. Morrigan," she started tapping the end of her pen, it was strangely soothing and he found himself quickly breathing to rhythm.

"I didn't even get a chance to start," he whispered.

"Do you want to?"

Lahar looked down at his hands, lessening his grip and setting them in his lap. What she said about Lucy was the one thing that hit him the hardest. She was counting on him to try and he could tell by the twinkle in her eyes she was hopeful for his success. How could he look into her heart shaped face and tell her that he gave up thirty seconds into therapy? How could he look at himself?

He nodded, "yes."

"Alright, let's make today easy," she said.

"This is easy?" he asked, his voice elevating a smidge at the end and eyes wide.

"You don't want to see me when I'm being difficult," she grinned at him, her pen still tapping.

"I think you're right. Where do we begin?" he asked, finally leaning back into his chair, letting his posture slump just a bit.

"Tell me about your work," she said.

"Huh? My work, you don't…"

The doctor waved her hand dismissively, "don't care about your mom, today."

Lahar smiled a little under the feeling of relief, talking about his mother would be difficult. He barely remembered her and what he did know of her was a story hard enough to make anyone cry. Except for the doctor here, she didn't appear like someone who got all sympathetic with her patients. Which might be a good thing for Lahar and come to think of it, she had played him perfectly. He had a bit of respect for that.

"I am a Rune Knight, Captain of the Enforcement Squad to be precise," he said as he started talking through his work. He spent the next while talking about his day to day life and a few missions. The doctor would only stop him for a simple follow question, but allowed him to keep talking freely. She would make the occasion note in her pad, but otherwise stayed engaged with him.

"How did you meet Lucy?" she asked as he got done discussing his love of forms and paperwork.

"When she was almost killed in the Grand Magic Games," he smiled, "I had to do an interview with her about the incident."

"You smiled, this was a happy memory?" she asked and he nodded, "what made it happy?"

Lahar looked away, watching an unusually bright orange fish swim against equally vibrant coral. He took a deep breath, still recalling the scent of the hospital cleaners and wet hair. He could still see Lucy lying in the bed, a soft smile on her face as machines beeped and hummed, showing off a strong heart.

"Miss Heartfilia," he had said as he came to the edge of her bed and gently pulled the white stiff cotton blanket over her exposed foot.

She had opened her eyes at his voice and he looked into her large brown eyes, finding himself smiling in return at her. "Hi," she had managed.

"I'm Captain Lahar Morrigan, may I sit and talk with you?"

"Okay," she had replied and he pulled up the small black and tan chair close to the edge of her bed. He looked her over, even under these hideous lights with bruises forming on her face and hair a wet tangle behind her, she was beautiful.

"Miss…"

"Lucy, please."

Lahar had pushed up his glasses and smiled, "Lucy, how are you?"

She grimaced, "in pain, but I'll live. Strange how easy we bruise and how strong our need to endure is."

"It is quite the human thing, do you remember what happened?" he asked as she turned her head to look at him.

"You're handsome," she had softly answered, "I like your glasses."

"Thank you," Lahar fought to not flush, it had been a while since he was last complimented so easily. "I can come back."

"No, please stay. I don't want to be Schrodinger's Cat, I want to be observed so that I am not dead," she pursed her lips, "have you ever thought that it is wrong and what if observation doesn't amend a state. What if I am alive and dead even while being observed? Also why only two states, what if the cat could mutate thanks to radiation?"

Lahar's mouth fell open as she had continued on, "that would still make it alive. I suppose then the two states do hold up. Yet we know, mathematically, that there are universes outside of our own. What if one of those could hold death and life at the same time, even observed. Would dark matter still vibrate if no one was watching?"

"Lucy," Lahar had taken her hand and she gently squeezed his fingers, "what are you talking about?"

"A classic thought exercise in quantum mechanics about observable states. Also, open string theory and dark matter. I think dark matter is the result of atoms imploding, not exploding if they split. If you have paper I can show you the theory." She had laughed, "these drugs are fun."

Lahar had smiled at her and reached inside of his jacket and pulled out a small brown leather notebook and pen. He handed her the items and she had started talking again, this time making messy pen marks in his notebook. She claimed they were complex math formulas and Lahar had realized just how drugged she was. However, the way she spoke and as the night wore on, he found himself enraptured by her with each minute.

He had brushed her hair and covered her in his cloak to fight off the chill in the room. Lahar never wanted to leave her side, even when she yawned. He had promised to keep her safe and she smiled at him, a light lick to her bottom lip and soulful brown eyes had been his undoing.

"Lahar," the doctor's voice snapped him out of his memories.

"She was such a treasure and I kissed her. For one moment I forgot that I was Rune Knight and just wanted..." Lahar paused, "something more from my life." His leg twitched again, he started feeling pins and needles from his toes to his hip bone.

"Take a vacation, get out of Era for two weeks." the doctor said as she started scribbling furiously on a small white pad of paper.

"What about other appointments?" Lahar asked as she stood up and walked around the walnut desk.

"Here," she put the piece of paper in his hand, "doctor's orders. You get that vacation or you don't come back. I won't deal with a quitter." She walked to the door and opened it.

Lahar looked at the piece of paper, _Prescription: Two Week Vacation, out of town. Dr. Haus._

"Thank you, Dr. Haus," he said as he wheeled by her.

"I'll send a doctor's note to your headquarters and tell my lazy receptionist I want you back in two weeks. She can kick the starlet, that bitch drives me nuts." Dr. Haus said with a not-quite-a-smile on her face and a devilish gleam in her eyes.

"Again, thank you," Lahar said as he moved over to Lucy who was standing up and putting her book in her large red tote. She smiled at him and Lahar returned the smile as he handed her the note and she giggled.

* * *

"Where do we go?" Lucy asked as they exited the psychiatrist's office. She put on her sunglasses and walked beside Lahar as he navigated down the sidewalk.

"I have no idea, not with this thing," he said.

"How about a staycation?"

"A what?"

Lucy giggled, "a staycation. Where you get loaded up on fun foods, movies and supplies to hang around the house and not be bothered for two weeks. We could also look at some nicer patio furniture and maybe a small fire pit for the backyard. Oh! We could camp out one night."

"How is that a vacation?" he asked as he stopped his wheelchair and looked up at her.

"No work, no one bothers you, you do nothing but chill at home," she said, thinking this might be the easiest and cheapest vacation she could get him to agree to, "we can also turn off the lacrima comm devices and unplug the phone."

Lahar pursed his lips, "does it have to be at my house?"

"Huh?" she asked as she looked over the top of her sunglasses at him. Lahar put a hand over his amethyst eyes to block out the sun as he smiled at her.

"My grandparents left me their cabin on Sky Lake. I pay the upkeep and greens cost every year on it but haven't visited since their death."

"How would we get there?" she asked with a smile. Two weeks in a cabin on a lake would be perfect, the logistics bothered her.

"Lucy, I would need a favor."

"Anything Lahar," she answered without thinking.

"Would you be willing to drive my Aston Martin?"

Lucy took a step back and put a slender hand over her heart, her mouth was open. "W-what? Me?"

Lahar chuckled at her and reached for her hand, placing a kiss to her knuckles, "I trust you."

"Oh my Goddess, yes!" she exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet and picturing how cool she was going to look driving that beautiful machine.

"You'd think I just asked you to marry me," Lahar teased, "if I knew driving my car was going to get you this excited…"

Lucy stopped before she could break out into her happy dance and flushed. She pulled her hand from his and face palmed, giggling at his teasing. He was right, Lucy was taking this a little overboard, but how could she not? This was such a rare event for her, a chance to test out a car she'd only stared at everytime she would have to go into the garage.

She composed herself and gave Lahar a kiss to the forehead, "thank you Captain."

He stroked her cheek, "you are very welcome Miss Heartfilia."

Lucy pulled back and Lahar nodded for them to start moving again, before they attracted anymore curious onlookers. They made small talk, mostly around organizing a list of things they would need to shop for and making a plan to head up there tomorrow. Today they both needed to plan and organize, otherwise and Lucy knew it, this trip would start off on the wrong foot.

It was a busy night for both of them. Lahar had to head to the Rune Knight Headquarters to set things in order, leaving Lucy to clean and pack on her own. She knew he'd help her if he physically could, and she appreciated his thoughtful nature more than she could say.

Lucy also knew that he'd been having more bouts of feeling physical sensation or leg spasms in the last week. Since the day he discussed his mother and opened up to her, he'd been a little different. Though she noticed that work could keep him on edge and she wondered if his shrink had noticed that too. Perhaps that was why he needed this vacation, and she could use one too.

She sat on her made bed next to her open pink suitcase and looked over her clothing. Lucy thought about how they had been intimate but hadn't had sex since the shower. Lahar was having difficulties with an erection again and she hoped that this trip would literally be what the doctor ordered. The electric clock clicked and she looked at it, starting to wonder what was taking him so long.

Lucy knew Lahar's workload, and four hours seemed like too much time. She got off the bed and started walking toward the phone in the kitchen. At the very least she could confirm if Lahar was at the office. As she reached for the phone it rang, making her jump.

"H-hello?"

"Is this Lucy Heartfilia?" the man asked.

"Yes," she replied, feeling her heart start to hammer in her chest.

"My name is Dr. Bowden, I'm an ER doctor at Era General. We have a Lahar Morrigan here."

"What happened?" she asked as she started to pace while biting her bottom lip. Lucy felt every sense of dread flood over her as she waited for the doctor to speak. She pressed her back against the wall and slowly slid down it. Horrible scenes played out in her mind, car accident, dark guild attack, all ending with him out of his chair and lying in his own blood. She shivered and felt a tear race down her cheek.

"There was an attack, Mr. Morrigan stopped the attacker but was grazed along his shoulder by a knife, needing several stitches. He is fine but will need help in getting home."

Lucy let out a breath of relief, it wasn't serious, "I'm on my way."

"Oh and Miss Heartfilia, one more thing I should tell you," the doctor said and Lucy paused before hanging up the black and white receiver.

"What?" she asked, wondering if this was when the shoe was going to drop or if the doctor was going to make a comment over Lahar's generally grumpy demeanor.

"To stop the attack, he walked about ten feet. Which for a man in his condition should be impossible." the doctor said and Lucy dropped the phone. It bounced off her chest and dangled from the wall, spinning around and thumping against the beige wall.

Lucy jumped up and fist pumped the air before she grabbed the phone, "oh sorry. I'll be right there!" She couldn't contain her excitement and the large smile over her face as she hung up the phone.

She grabbed her purse, tennis shoes, and Lahar's keys from the small hook next to the door. Lucy walked toward the garage, happily humming in excitement, she was going to go pick him up in his car and make him feel important. Then on the way home she was going to stop at the store and pick up his favorite dessert to treat him for being a hero.

Lucy took a deep breath as she unlocked the pristine car, she hadn't felt this excited in a long while. She wasn't an SE Vehicle aficionado, but even she could appreciate a classic piece of pop culture and pristine engineering. After getting comfortable in the Aston Martin, she clicked the garage door opened that was sitting in the dark grey cup holder.

She plugged in the key and felt the small pull of her magic, giddy when she heard the engine roar to life. Lucy hadn't felt like this in a long time, just excited for the pleasure of a little dose of luxury. The radio kicked on, playing a catchy little Jazz tune and Lucy smiled as she shifted into reverse and slowly backed out of the driveway.

The trip to the hospital was over too quickly and she was even more eager for their drive tomorrow. A few hours with this bad boy was going to be fun and having Lahar in the car, she hoped, wasn't going to be anxiety inducing. Lucy frowned as she locked the car and started walking towards the entrance. Lahar could be a little controlling and hopefully it wasn't going to make him a bad passenger.

Lucy walked into the waiting area and up to the front desk, seeing a tired looking nurse typing away as she stared at a pile of files. "Um, excuse me. I'm here to pick up Lahar Morrigan."

The nurse stopped and looked up at her before smiling, "you mean the hero in room 2? He's quite the looker."

"He really is, I'm lucky to have him," Lucy said, feeling a bit of a need to protect him and stake her claim."Room 2?"

The nurse pouted and pointed to the left and Lucy flashed her a smile before the nurse returned to her paperwork. She felt a little naughty about that interaction, but not enough to sour her mood.

Lucy walked into room 2 where Lahar was sitting in his usual black wheelchair, with his shoulder bandaged and he was smiling. She giggled, noticing that his eyes were glossy, "they gave you the good painkillers."

"Just a bit, I have maybe," he laughed, "70% of my mental faculties."

Lucy smiled and walked over to him, taking the handles of his chair and pushing him forward. "Well Captain, that's 70% more than most people."

"Miss Heartfilia, I'm going to do horrible things to you when we get home."

Lucy laughed as he tipped his head back and stared at her, all but begging for a kiss like a kid. "Uh huh," she paused and kissed him. "You'll be asleep by the time we get home."

"No, I have many nice plans-s," he said, sounding a little slurred.

Lucy chuckled and happily took her Captain home, listening to him chatter on in his drugged state. He even complimented her driving and demanded ice cream, which she promised him when they got home. Pinky promised, because he was in that kind of mindset.

She was never going to forget this night, but would never bring it up to him. After all, he never really mentioned how she was when drugged out of her mind. Which gave her the idea as she helped him get into bed.

"Since you like talking, tell me about when we first met," she said, curling into the bed with him.

"Hmmm," he rolled to his side and kissed her nose, "nope. Cappy go sleepy now."

And with that Lahar passed out as Lucy laughed.

* * *

_As always, please review, fave and follow!_


	7. Sunrise Sunset

Lahar sat as comfortably as possible in the leather passenger seat as Lucy drove his Aston Martin. Soft jazz came over the speakers as he looked out the window, watching the woodsy scenery pass by them along the windy road. He was still feeling a bit out of it from the painkillers administered last night and his breakfast was a little unsettled in his stomach. If it wasn't for the fact Lahar hadn't drank in weeks, he would have sworn he was hung over.

"You okay?" Lucy asked.

He let out a breath and pushed up his glasses, "a little off feeling."

"You don't handle pain killers well, do you?"

"Normally, they are not a problem, you know that."

Lucy chuckled, "there is a difference in strengths between over the counter and prescription. Even then a couple pain pills tend to make you drowsy."

Lahar smiled faintly, she really did know him, and her keen observations were always appreciated. "I wish I knew what they gave me, then I could tell them to not administer that dosage again." His shoulder itched and as much as he wanted to scratch it, he didn't want to disrupt his new stitches.

Stitches he wouldn't have needed if some degenerate hadn't thought it a wise idea to rob a poor lady several blocks from the Rune Knight Headquarters. Though because of that injury the man was going to go to jail for a lengthy bit of time and better Lahar than an innocent civilian.

"You could always try not getting wounded on the job," Lucy teased as she slowed down, due to a change in posted speed signs, "where do we turn off again?"

"Not this one, should be the one further down, Cloud Trail Lane." Lahar didn't have to think hard on this, he'd spent many summer vacations up here with his grandparents. Part of him was excited to see the cabin again and another part was conflicted. So many memories, mostly good ones, were in that little cabin and now he'd let Lucy wander through them.

The difficulty would be in the fact the cabin wasn't wheelchair accessible, but Lucy had planned to summon one of her spirits to help with some light modifications. Lahar was grateful that Lucy was sharp minded, because when he considered this as a vacation spot, he had overlooked several details. Perhaps he was just anxious to get out of town and give Dr. Haus's advice, a fair shot. He owed it to Lucy to do precisely that.

She slowed down the car and made the right turn. Lahar appreciated her smooth operation of his pristine car and was glad for one less worry. Lucy was a skilled driver and very mindful of road safety. Had this been Mest driving, Lahar would have spent most of the time questioning his life choices and praying to make it alive. The thought of Mest behind the wheel had him chuckling, especially since Mest had only been allowed to drive their Rune Knight vehicle twice. For very good reason, the man was a horrendous speed demon.

Lahar looked around, seeing familiar landmarks and how the trees started to thin out as they approached the lake. He knew that soon they would be there, and he opened his window a little to take in a bit of the fresh air. The first breath of forest and lake air had him smiling, almost feeling like a young boy the first time, he had come up here with Nana and Papa.

He could still see the back of his grandfather's head, tufts of silver hair under a brown fedora. Also, the smiling profile of his grandmother as she laughed at something he said while she knitted. Jazz was also playing, because his grandfather did not understand rock and roll but his grandmother did, and she introduced a young Lahar to many great bands.

He remembered watching them, even as a small child and knowing that he wanted to be loved like that. That he wanted to wear a fedora, smoke a pipe, and have a beautiful woman laugh at his jokes and mix him a drink while he grilled steaks. It was a simple and conventional life, but as a kid Lahar knew he wanted that and now he slid a glance at Lucy.

She was smiling softly, her finger tapping on the wheel to the song's rhythm and her eyes hidden behind big tortoise shell cat eye sunglasses. Lucy wore a simple sky-blue sun dress that flattered her voluptuous form and was conservative enough to not cause undue attention. There was something about this little moment that had Lahar smiling on his own and unable to look anywhere but at her as his thoughts bounced between the past and present.

Lahar wouldn't have exactly what his grandparents had, but he was finally on the road to having his version of it. As he smiled, he felt the familiar pins and needles sensation rise through his legs and he mindlessly massaged his thighs.

"You okay?" she asked as she looked at him for a second.

"Yes, just feeling a little nostalgic," he replied as the sensation started to wane.

"How long has it been?" she asked.

Lahar pursed his lips, "about three," he paused, "no, four years. Last time I was here it was to release their ashes at the end of the dock. Then I had to turn around and get back to Era for _work_."

"You sound almost bitter," she noted.

"Do I?" Lahar took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's alright, I think it just means you're thinking more about life than just in terms of working. As much as I love Fairy Tail, somedays I could just go off." Lucy turned the wheel and Lahar noticed the familiar mailbox with the blue hand painted _Morrigan_ along the side. She slowly drove down the long gravel driveway and Lahar held his breath as he looked ahead, his nerves lighting up.

He saw the old cabin come into view and smiled as he felt himself relax into the leather. It was just as beautiful as he remembered, including the heather planted in neat boxes in front. The red tinted logs shimmering in the sunlight, the porch with the old welcome mat and pair of aging wicker rocking chairs on it. Behind the small cabin was the lake perfectly reflecting the sky, lavish newer cabins, and surrounding flora.

Lucy whistled low, "you said this was small."

Lahar chuckled, "it is only three bedrooms. When Sky Lake became popular, multi-million Jewel cabins started becoming the norm."

Lucy parked the car, "wow, this has to be worth quite a bit then."

He shrugged, "it never occurred to me to sell it, but I assume you're right. There is no more room to build on the lake and I take several calls a year from interested developers."

"You never asked?" They rolled up their windows as she disconnected from the SE Plug.

"As soon as they say their business name, I hang up." Lahar replied as he unhooked his seatbelt and Lucy giggled before exiting the car.

He waited until she opened the door and positioned his wheelchair. Lahar got into it and he heard hammers pounding. He tried to move his wheelchair but on gravel it was having a bit of difficulty and so he pushed a little harder until he felt it move on its own. He looked over his shoulder and saw a man with wild ginger hair, blue tinted glasses, and a black suit looking down at him.

"Excuse me, who are you?" he asked.

"Leo or Loke," he replied as he easily pushed Lahar towards the new ramp placed over the two stairs of the porch.

"You must be one of Lucy's spirits," he said as he reached into the breast pocket of his purple button-down shirt for the keys.

"Yep, also Leader of the Zodiac. Princess let us know that she was going to need our help today."

"Hopefully this won't deplete too much of her magic."

"Virgo and I can come out under our own power," he replied as he finished pushing Lahar to the top of the little ramp.

"Thanks, Loke!" Lucy called out as Lahar unlocked the door and pushed it open.

The spirit bowed, "what else do you need help with?"

"Virgo has the coolers, so we should be fine," she said brightly as Lahar wheeled himself inside the place.

He paused as he looked around the living room, realizing that nothing had changed from his youthful memories. Forest green living room set adorned with Nana's handmade blankets, stone fireplace with fresh logs and the antique iron fireplace set beside it. There was no LacrimaVision here and instead were built in bookshelves packed with various books and children's board games. The beige walls were littered in framed family pictures and he wheeled over to study one.

It was a picture of his teenage mother standing at the end of the dock, holding up a rather tiny looking fish and looking proud. Her amethyst eyes were bright and long reddish-brown hair was pulled up in a folded ponytail, almost like his usual style. She wore jeans with holes in the knees and a t-shirt. "Hello mom," he whispered as he touched the picture before moving towards the kitchen.

Lucy and a maid were already in the kitchen, Lahar assumed this had to be Virgo. They were putting away the food and happily chatting, he decided to not say anything and continued through the warm wood and green kitchen towards the sliding door.

Lahar slid open the door and sat still as he looked over the scenery and let his mind work through a few memories. His gaze upon the end of the dock, he could still see a younger version of himself sitting at the end of it and reading a book while Papa fished and drank his beer.

"One day you're going to find a pretty little filly and bring her here," he had said as he turned the reel a little.

"Girls are useless," a young Lahar shot back, barely looking up over his book.

His grandfather had chuckled, "really then tell Pa all about those magazines under your bed."

Older Lahar quietly chuckled as he thought about how red his cheeks had become from his grandfather's remark. How he thought he was going to die as Papa started discussing puberty with him with a mischievous twinkle in his purple eyes.

"Lahar, you're going to find the right woman and you'll know it," he had said.

"How did you know Papa?" the younger boy asked as he tucked in his bookmark and closed the book.

"When I wake up in the morning all I can think about is spending the day with Nana. When I go to work, I can't wait to come home to her. When I hear something interesting on the radio my first thought is that I better tell Nana about this. Also," he had reached out and ruffled Lahar's hair, "your heart just knows. A good woman makes your heart light and for that feeling, you'd move mountains to make her smile." Papa had sighed and suddenly began to yank on his fishing rod.

Lahar put his hand against his chest and looked over at Lucy who was leaning against the counter and taking a sip of water. He didn't understand what his grandfather meant back in those days, but he was starting to figure it out. He would move more than mountains for her, Lahar would move the Heavens to keep her smiling and his.

* * *

Lucy was grateful for her spirits; they were a big help in getting things ready today. Virgo put in the ramps efficiently and Loke was nice enough to help Lahar over the gravel driveway. It gave her space to collect her thoughts and plan out things to do. Now that the food was put away, she should get their clothing hung up and a few other odds and ends.

She looked at Lahar who was staring out the patio door. He looked a little lost in his thoughts and she reckoned that it was due to being back in a place he grew up in. The collection of pictures and knick knacks wasn't lost on Lucy and she wanted to explore the items. Wanted to know about what he was like as a child and importantly what was he thinking about as he glanced up at her.

"Lucy, thank you and your spirits," he said as he wheeled himself away from the door.

She smiled at him and set down her water glass on the green stone counter, "you're welcome. We should get our clothes put away. I wasn't certain which room we should take."

Lahar pursed his lips, "let's have a look then."

Lucy followed him out of the modest kitchen and down the hallway. The cabin was a similar layout to his ranch style grey house, living room connected to kitchen, hallway with multiple doors for the bedrooms and bathroom. As she thought about it, it made sense that he would have picked his home based on his childhood memories, a little bit of comfort in the familiar.

He stopped before a door and Lucy smiled as she saw a tapped-up piece of paper with a skull head and neatly written, "do not enter, teenager sleeps here." She laughed at it and Lahar only shook his head before he pushed up his glasses and opened the door.

"I forgot about that and apparently hadn't thought to tell the property caretaker to remove it."

"It also shows how long it's been since you were here."

Lahar nodded and then wheeled himself into the small room, Lucy followed and looked around she almost fell over laughing. The room was perfectly normal for a teenage boy, something she hadn't expected. He had posters from various rock and roll bands, a bookcase with trophies from academic and sporting events, comic books mixed in with fantasy books, a twin sized bed neatly made and a desk with stacks of spiral notebooks on it next to a small music player.

Lucy looked over at the book shelf, he had Academic Decathlon awards, Track and Field and one for Debate Club. Mixed in was a picture of him in his high school graduation cap and gown, holding on to a rolled diploma and smiling between two happy looking older people. "Are these your grandparents?"

Lahar nodded, "yes, Nana and Papa. They were very proud of me, even when I was being willful and ignorant."

"That's called being a teenager, I don't think they held that against you." Lucy sighed, "your room seems very normal."

"What did you think my room was going to be?" he asked as he moved towards the small oak writing desk and took one of the notebooks.

Lucy shrugged as she pulled out a _Superman_ comic book hiding between two _Dragonlance_ novels. She smiled as she flipped through the colorful pages, "fewer comic books and rock and roll."

Lahar snorted, "I blame Papa for the comic books, he got me started as a small boy. It also helped that he was a writer." He set down the notebook and moved closer to her, reaching out to grab a comic from the shelf.

Lucy put back the _Superman_ issue and took it, she had never heard of _The Mysterium_. On the cover was a group of people but what had her attention was the man in the center in a uniform almost like the Rune Knight one in style but in white and purple instead of teal and blue. The guy in the center had dark green hair and glasses over teal eyes, his expression neutral. She looked at the comic and to Lahar and back to the comic.

"His name is Lucas the Morgan, a mage of wild magic who battles to stay in control at all times otherwise his magic could destroy the city. The team battled the dark forces of Entropy Inc. in a bid to save Psicabel City. It ran for about ten years before Papa ended the story, his final arc complete." Lahar frowned, "and yes, Papa based the character on me. Well, more like the man he thought I would become. I figured that out later when I reread the first issue after their passing."

He nodded and Lucy opened the comic book, flipping to the last pages for the author and artist notes. There was a sketched picture of a handsome man with chestnut hair, a pipe held between white teeth in a large grin that reached his eyes.

_Jack Morrigan: I'd like to thank the readers for purchasing this new series and spending your time with me. This story is very personal to me because Lucas is my wish and hope for the kind of man, I want to see my grandchild grow into. My grandson dreams of being a Rune Knight, wanting to protect the people and sees everything as black and white. Lucas doesn't have that flaw, he understands how muddled life is and that villains or heroes aren't simple, sometimes the villain is the hero. We have to remember that things are complicated and when I write these pages, I want to demystify some of that and give people hope that anything is possible, and your story is always waiting to be told._

"He would leave little notes at the end of every issue, asking people what they thought or answering fan questions. In the final issue he..." Lahar looked away for a moment before meeting her gaze again, "Thank you for ten beautiful years, today I watched my grandson graduate high school and like Lucas, his story is now only beginning. Whatever path you take in life, remember you have the capacity to be someone's hero or villain. Choose wisely."

Lucy put the comic back and reached out for Lahar's hand, he took it and placed a kiss to her knuckles before pressing his cheek against it. She held still and watched him, knowing that the dam of his emotions was breaking apart as he reconnected with who he was. It was also amazing that his grandfather had left him stories to read and cherish, learning life lessons in ways he may not have been able to talk about.

"Why don't you keep these at your home?" she asked as she carefully put the comic back. Lucy was certain that Lahar should get some comic protectors, his small collection might have been worth quite a bit.

"I thought comic books were for kids and when I became an adult, in my mind, I left them here along with much of my childhood. When Nana and Papa died, I rented a temperature-controlled storage unit for his comic collection and a few family antiques that wouldn't work in my house. I sold the rest and donated the money to the Humane Society in Nana's name."

Lucy smiled at him, "that was thoughtful. Though maybe," she ran her finger against the slim spines of the comics, "we could read these together. You might get more of an insight into what he was trying to teach you."

He let go of her hand and pursed his lips, "perhaps. One thing at a time. I think we should stay in their room; this bed is too small for both of us."

"What about the other…" Lahar gave her a stern look and Lucy got the hint. The other room had to be his mother's old room. She bet he wasn't ready to deal with that, "okay."

They didn't speak much as they folded and put away the clothing from their suitcases. Lucy wasn't surprised that there wasn't much left in the dresser or closet from his grandparents. She did notice a well-worn brown fedora hanging on a small hook on the wall. Gently she touched the soft cracked leather and Lahar sucked in a sharp breath, "please don't touch that."

She pulled back her hand, "sorry."

"That was his driving and writing hat. He only wore it when he was doing either of those things."

Lucy smiled at him, "how about some lunch and maybe we could sit outside?" She was also going to bring out Gemini and have the pair turn into Wendy to properly heal his shoulder. It would be one less thing for either of them to worry about.

Lahar gave her a nod before he left the bedroom and Lucy followed behind him, pausing only to look at the last door. On the front of it was a small wooden plaque, _Hypatia's Room_ with a small lily at the end. She traced her slim finger over the letters and bit her bottom lip. She wanted to open this door and peek inside but at the same time she didn't want to anger Lahar. When he was ready, they could explore it and Lucy dropped her hand before proceeding to the kitchen.

* * *

"Lucy this is not a good idea," Lahar said sternly as she pushed him towards the dock. He knew that the aging wooden dock wobbled a little and if he fell into the water, he may just sink to his own demise.

"Want to watch the sunset over the water. It'll be fine Lahar, if you fall in, I'll just have Virgo grab you." she said as she kept pushing him.

"I said no, can't you respect my wishes?" he asked, letting go of the black arm rests and ready to grab the wheels. Lucy stopped the wheelchair at the edge between dock and shore. She came around and looked at him, bending over slightly to show off a bit of cleavage. That had his attention, but he knew that she knew that.

"What are you really scared of?" she asked.

"Besides the potential to drown?" Lucy nodded, "isn't that enough? Look, how about we sit in the patio chairs and build a small fire in the pit. We can roast marshmallows, since I saw that you brought some."

Lucy tilted her head, her chocolate eyes reading his, "alright. Tomorrow though we go enjoy the dock."

"Fair enough," what he didn't want to say was that today he mentally had enough of walking down memory lane. He had spent a lot of time dangling his feet off the edge of the dock and reading or studying. He spent a lot of afternoons as Papa fished and randomly gave life advice. He spent time with the forest stray cat who Nana fed and would sleep at the edge of the dock to warm her belly. Maybe tomorrow he would sit there, but not today. Lahar was emotionally drained and getting sleepy as he enjoyed the beautifully fresh air away from the city.

She moved him back and then went inside to collect the treats, Lahar moved himself to one of the chairs and mindlessly rubbed his thigh. His legs were all over the place today. Twitching at odd times, pins and needles or just back to being dead. He wondered how much longer this was going to go on. Couldn't he just have an epiphany and walk and be done with all of this?

He had managed to move out of his chair when defending that woman, but it felt so foreign to him. It also helped that at the time he was moving on instinct and not thinking about anything other than saving her life. That need to protect the innocent had overridden whatever was wrong in his head that he felt like his old self, not this broken man in a wheelchair.

Even now as he sat outside and took in the scenery, he was feeling a bit disconnected from the reality around him. His mind was still cataloguing what he was missing at work and worried that the paperwork would lapse into chaos. He also started to wonder if they were crafting a careful way to terminate his employment. What would he do if he couldn't be a Rune Knight?

If he couldn't be the hero his Papa thought he'd become?

He looked up at the sky that was starting to transition from blue to red and orange and the clouds taking on a more purple hue. His life was starting to feel like a sunset, if his career was lost…

Endless night.

As he thought of that he remembered something his Nana said once. She had woken him up early to watch the sunrise, it was his last summer before he left for the Rune Knight Academy. It was also the second to the last time he saw either of his grandparents before they died. He'd been so busy trying to craft a life for himself, that he never made time for them beyond a weekly phone call and a decline to come to dinner.

She had dragged him out of the bed and gave him one of her hand knit blankets as she carried a thermos and two coffee cups. Lahar followed her down to the cool dock, where she slowly sat down, complaining about her miserable old hip. He had poured them some of the coffee as the sun started rising from behind the mountains.

"It feels like a sunset, but it's the start of a new day. You are the sunrise, Lahar." Nana had said as she sipped her brew and pulled her pink cardigan a little tighter around her.

"What do you mean?" he asked before he let out a long yawn, his brain trying to wake up.

"You are starting a new day in your life. You will start many new days. When given the choice, always embrace the sunrise and don't worry about the sunset. See beginnings not endings."

"See beginnings not endings," Lahar whispered her words, letting the memory fade. He saw Lucy moving from the corner of his eye, she was putting a few pieces of firewood in the pit, angling them up in a teepee shape over some kindling.

If he thought through his current situation, this was very much a new day for him. Lucy was certainly his bright sun through all of it and she was a chance at a beginning he never thought he'd have. One that was more than just work, one that included a real home and someone to love. Perhaps even a family one day.

His legs stopped with the feeling like they were asleep, and Lahar concentrated on his right foot. He flexed it and let out a small gasp as he curled his toes inside the tennis shoe. Lucy stopped and looked at him, "Captain?"

Lahar grinned at her and then very slowly concentrated on bending his knee. She dropped the wood in her hands and came over to him, taking his hand as she watched the slow and controlled movement.

It was only several inches before his leg dropped and Lahar felt a bit of sweat dot along his brow. He looked up at her, seeing her eyes twinkle in happiness and knowing he was feeling the same.

"That was amazing," she said before she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Felt good," Lahar commented as he turned and put his hands on Lucy's pinched waist. She straddled his hips in the chair before he kissed her. Their lips pressed against each other as his hands started roaming down her back. He could feel his dick become hard under her warmth that rubbed against him. It had been a while since he felt the stirrings of an erection and he was not about to waste it. No matter how his day had started or the emotions he went through moving around the cabin.

Lucy stopped kissing him and looked around the area before her cheeks subtly flushed with color. "We shouldn't… outside I mean," she said.

"It's not tourist season, there is no one around," he said as he reached between their bodies and gently stroked her sex over her cotton panties. Lahar could feel a small spot of wetness and gingerly pushed the fabric over to get access to her directly.

She was wet, not dripping but it was clear she was turned on and Lahar wanted to play with this a bit, see if she had a bit of an exhibitionist to her. "Miss Heartfilia, pull down your dress, I want to see your breasts."

Lucy froze and nibbled her bottom lip, Lahar inserted a finger into her, feeling her tight warmth around the long digit. "I gave you an order," he said, keeping his gaze firmly affixed to her face.

She swallowed, "yes, Captain." Lucy timidly unhooked the back of her dress and slowly lowered the light blue material, leaving it bunched around her waist and her pink simple bra on. Lahar made a mental note that at some point he was going to purchase some more risqué lingerie for her, a bit of pretty, instead of the functional ones she wore.

He continued playing with her, watching her body tense and move along with his fingers' movements. Lahar raised a brow and looked at her covered breasts to her face, watching how she closed her eyes and reluctantly reached behind her to unclasp the bra. As the material slid down her arms, Lahar inserted a second finger and felt his erection strain against the confines of his jeans.

Lucy quickly covered her breasts with her hands before looking around the area again. He could tell how embarrassed she was but at the time her body wouldn't stop moving along with his fingers as he pleasured her.

"Remove your hands, and bring them closer to my face," he commanded, and Lucy turned red before she did as he instructed.

She grabbed the back of the metal framed chair as his lips captured one of her nipples. He sucked on it, drawing tight circles with his tongue as she softly panted and moved against him. From beneath his bangs he looked up at her, seeing her looking down at him with one hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the moans fighting to break through.

Lahar let go of her nipple and placed a kiss to her sternum, feeling her breasts nuzzle his cheeks. "I need you to drop your hand and open my pants, Miss Heartfilia."

She squirmed on him as his thumb rubbed circles against her clit and his fingers scissored inside of her. All the while her hips pulsing to the movements and his fingers were thoroughly soaked in her. Lucy pulled at his black leather belt, trying to navigate around his hand between them and her own moving body.

"Cap…" she moaned the half word as her fingers trembled over the fly.

"You are free to orgasm at any point, Miss Heartfilia," he said. Later he could work with her an orgasm denial but for now he'd keep this simple. Judging by how quickly she was falling apart around him, exhibitionism or the potential of it might be something she would enjoy.

Lucy tried to open his pants and Lahar had to adjust himself a little, using his legs to be able to tilt his hips a small fraction. That little bit of movement felt freeing and he wondered how long he had truly taken his legs for granted.

"Oh God… yes…" she started moaning as her channel began to flutter and then tighten suddenly around his moving fingers. Her eyes were wrenched shut as her movements became more pronounced, driving him wild to watch her undone.

"My cock, now Miss Heartfilia," he commanded as he removed his hand and put his soaked fingers in his mouth to taste her. Lucy's orgasm was divine to taste, a bit citrus and not overly heady.

He watched her try to work through her orgasm and his pants, finally freeing his proud member. Lahar let out a breath of relief and pleasure as he felt her soft warm hand wrapped around him. Lucy got up on her knees and he moved her panties to the side, as she slowly lowered herself on him.

Lahar removed his fingers from his mouth and cupped the back of her head, drawing her into a slow lazy kiss while her body adjusted to his dick inside of her. Her hands on his shoulders as she squirmed in his lap and moaned softly into the kiss. He was grateful she had summoned her healing spirit to tend to that earlier, otherwise this might have been painful.

He let go of her and gently raised her skirt, exposing her clothed ass to the twilight air. "What do you think, someone watching you upon my cock? Come on Miss Heartfilia, give them a good show."

Lucy paused as she gasped and he fisted the material of her underwear, before he heard the rip of the material. "Stick out your ass, Miss Heartfilia and ride your Captain."

He could watch her struggle with the command, "if you need a safe word use it and we'll never play outside again."

She froze and looked at him with a bit of relief over her features for a moment before she opened her kiss-swollen mouth, "no, just…" she nibbled her bottom lip and swirled her hips, making him shudder and he received the message.

"You're enjoying this, on display - on me - letting the world see you fall apart," she squirmed again, "see you at my mercy," he gripped her butt cheek with a small slap forcing her to arch her back from the surprise.

It started slowly until Lucy was awash in pleasure from the right angle. He noticed that she took a bit to get going but once she did, she lost all sense of caring, her focus the same as his. Pleasure.

His hands stayed on her ass, holding on to her as she bounced wildly upon him. She felt amazing, the tightness of her wet channel wrapping him up in perfect ecstasy. What he wouldn't give to be able to move himself to meet her downward thrusts, to increase the friction between them with a curl of his own hips. Though for now, he would take what he could get and if this was the only position available, he would take it again and again.

Lucy pulsed her hips with the last movement and it hit him just right, "do that again, Miss Heartfilia."

She was concentrating and her rhythm was all over the place as she started breathing hard from the exertion. Lucy did as best she could to add in that curl and ratcheting up the fire shooting through his veins. Lahar looked up at her and she grabbed his face, slamming her lips over his.

Hunger and passion fueled the kiss and he didn't mind that he had no control over it, he was feeling her unbridled and realizing the depths of her own passion. It made him delirious and she stopped kissing him to throw her head back and let out a loud cry of his name.

"Lahar!" and dear god did he love that sound, it only inspired him to reach his own state of release.

Lahar felt her orgasm around him, the fluttering of her body and the rush of liquid pooling in his lap. She tried to slow down but he took control and moved her body harshly a few more times before his orgasm tore him to blissful pieces.

He came inside of her, ribbons of his release coating her insides as he shook and held her to him. His face resting against her warm breast as he breathed through the euphoria.

They may have missed the sunset, but Lahar didn't care, he was done with endings. Now as he sat with Lucy and tried to recover from spontaneous sex, Lahar was going to focus on the next sunrise.

* * *

_Thanks for reading, there's still more to come._


	8. Stories

_ I usually don't include a trigger warning, however due to the sensitivity of a section of this chapter. I am inclined to include one. The content is not graphic, but this chapter will discuss the rape of a teenage mentally ill girl by her teacher. This is not something new to the story, Lahar shared this detail about his conception chapters ago. Alright, warning out of the way, the story continues. _

* * *

Lahar sat in his mother's slightly dusty but clean room, finally giving himself the permission to enter it and try to understand his own past. As a child he was never allowed in here, his Nana and Papa keeping the door locked most of the time.

On a few nights he had seen his Nana sitting upon the purple covered bed and staring down at a journal. She would often weep before tucking the small pink book back under the pillow. She would then finish the dusting and then relock the room before heading to bed.

Lahar had always been curious to know about his mother more than just his vague childhood memories and stories his grandparents told. More than the pictures of a smiling bright girl or family mementos. He wanted her story and his story from his mother's own words.

He reached under the pink pillow and pulled out the small well-worn journal. Lahar took a deep breath and cracked open the book, hearing the slight protest of the spine and feeling the light texture of the paper. It was an expensive journal; he could tell that by it's binding and quality paper. It was also well loved and used, having maintained a near perfect form except for the spine wear.

_May 21 _

_Today my daddy gave me a writer's journal. He said I should start capturing all my wild stories down. Mama still thinks I should talk to someone about the things I see but she's always been a nervous ninny. She once took me to the hospital because of some stomach pains and it was just gas! _

_Okay little book, I don't know what else to write. The spirits and demons haven't come to talk to me today, maybe tomorrow. _

Lahar sighed as he read about spirits and demons, it was clear even at this phase she was slowly losing it. He was more surprised by the fact that his Papa had almost written it off. That didn't seem like the Papa he remembered. The man listened and considered everything people said to him or around him. He asked writer's questions about things said and could spot a lie at fifty paces.

To Lahar it would have made sense that his grandfather needed evidence of his daughter's problems before making any kind of decision. It was also likely that Papa had a blind spot for his own daughter and as a parent just didn't know what to do in this situation. Lahar was confused a little by this, but it felt right to give his grandparents the benefit of the doubt, they just didn't know what was a problem and what was a teenager being a teenager.

The next few entries were much of the same, it felt like what he would think of as a normal girl's diary. The page on her 15th birthday had his attention and he gave that a more careful read.

_September 14 _

_Today I am 15 and I met my first angel! They exist! I knew it. It only made sense because of the demons that hide under the flower bushes and the spirits haunting the school. They all talk to me but today an angel appeared. _

_My math teacher, Mr. Cradiel, held me after school today to talk to me about my answers on the last math homework. He is so handsome and his voice very soothing. He listened to me and took me seriously. He told me he knows all about the war normal people can't see and that he was here to help me. He called me pretty and asked if he could take a picture of me to show the other angels, so they knew I was a friend. _

_He took a simple picture and called me a good girl. He told me to not tell anyone because normal people don't understand. He was right! They don't understand. _

_They don't know what is happening for their very souls, but we do. I now have an angel. _

Lahar felt his internal rage rise as he let go of the book, letting it fall into his lap. He took in a deep breath and tried to compose himself. The circumstances around his conception was not new to him but to read it from his own mother's diary made it a little too real.

He was grateful that he had never met the man – a word he used loosely to describe these kinds of predators. Lahar took in a couple deep breaths and steeled his resolve before he continued down this path for answers.

The next several months of entries were much the same. He could see the pattern of this predator, innocent sounding – to her – requests and after a couple months of grooming was now asking for more risqué pictures to prove her devotion. The slow descent into his mother's schizophrenia, as she started talking about possessed inanimate objects speaking to her. How she did whatever she could to hide it, only spilling out these "facts" in this journal and to that thing that abused her.

_January 17 th _

_Today Mr. Cradiel asked me for something different, he asked not for another picture but this time a kiss. He said that angels feed on love and a kiss would help him. If I love him, he could protect me better. I kissed him on the cheek but that wasn't good enough, he needed my first kiss on the lips. _

_My first kiss was with an angel. I am now protected from the demons for a while. Mr. Cradiel explained to me that the angel's kiss had to be refreshed every couple days to keep my protection barrier going. I asked him about the spirit in the room and like magic he made it go away with a strange angel spell and my will in making it vanish. He said I had to believe in his power otherwise it could come back. He kissed me again and then I had to go home but now I'm safe here. _

_Oh, tomorrow I have to talk to a friend of mama's, some nice guy who listens to stories. I wonder if he's an angel too. _

_January 18 th _

_MAMA'S FRIEND IS A LIAR! He told mama I'm a disturbed little girl and needed to take pills. I know what those pills are, they are a demonic tool to stop me from helping the angels! I won't take them! I can only rely on Mr. Cradiel to help me. _

Lahar sighed again, pushing up his glasses as he felt his bottom lip tremble. It was clear at this point that his grandparents were trying to get her help, but the predator and her own madness had her so twisted inside she couldn't see reality.

It was also a wake-up call to him, and that Lucy was right to help guide him towards therapy. Here in his hands was a living record of what happens when insanity plagues the mind for too long without help. That he may not have ever walked down the same path as his mother, but if he kept refusing psychological treatment, he might have more problems than just useless legs.

How much longer could he keep going through life lying to himself and not taking better care of his precious mind?

The diary was difficult to read and judging by the now long shadows in the room he had been here for a while. The musty scent was gone from the room, thanks to the small breeze from the window he opened, and dust motes still danced in the waning sunlight. Lahar made a note to properly clean and dust the room, after he finished this day.

He looked out the window and saw Lucy still sitting outside in one of the chairs as she read through the comic books. Lahar focused on her, seeing her relaxed and flipping through the brightly colored pages. Wondering what she was thinking as she read through them. He hoped she was having more fun in her reading than he was having in his.

Lahar took a few minutes to compose himself before he continued.

_Valentine's Day! _

_I have been feeling strange lately, I think it's the new breakfast shake mama makes for me. She said I need the special vitamins in it because I am still growing. Papa drinks a shake too and we race each other each morning to see who finishes first. My family is funny. _

_I haven't seen a spirit or demon for a week, Mr. Cradiel said it might be because of the kisses and today he wanted to try a stronger spell with me. It hurt at first when he put his fingers in me but then it was okay. He said I felt very good, very pure to him and he needed me more. I got scared but he kissed me and said I did great, that the spell was done. I love him, he's a perfect angel and I can't tell anyone about him. _

_I won't even tell mama's friend about him because he'd just call me disturbed again, to mama. _

He re-read the top portion a couple times and figured out what was going on. His Nana was slipping her medication in the shake, and its effects were working. The damn predator had to have known that and upped his plan. He still had her so twisted that now he changed tactics to go with the fact that she was finally getting help.

Lahar never wanted to raise the dead just to kill them all over again, until this moment. He looked up at the plain white ceiling and prayed for a moment that his sperm donor was rotting away in a special section of Hell.

_March 12 th _

_I started dumping mama's breakfast shakes, I just don't like them, and I tell her that yes, I drink them on my walk to school. Papa is away for the next couple weeks on one of his book tours, his new story came out last month. Mama said it's a best seller for grown-ups, he writes mysteries. _

_As long as I don't talk about the demons and spirits to anyone but my angel, mama doesn't question me when I run through the house. _

_Mr. Cradiel and I did another stronger angel spell today, it involved the two of us naked in his car because it was blessed with angel magic. It hurt more than the first time he used his fingers but then it was fine. I felt sticky and sore after, but I swear he was glowing while we did the spell. He said I was beautiful and one day he would take me away from all of this and we would win the war against the demons. He also said one day I may have little angels with him and that if I kept doing the various angel magic with him, I could be an angel too. _

_I want to have a little boy angel with him. _

Lahar almost threw up, feeling the bile and last bits of his lunch racing up his throat. He swallowed it back down and closed his eyes, trying to console himself. The room was getting darker now and it was harder to read in the fading light.

A light clicked on and Lahar blinked as he saw Lucy standing in the doorway. "Lahar, do you want dinner?" she asked her voice a bare whisper and he could see the apprehension across her features.

He shook his head, "not after reading this," his voice cracked, and he started to sob. The tears kept flowing and he felt Lucy remove his glasses before she gently cradled his head against her chest. Lahar clung to her, his mind reeling in pain from everything he read and his heartbreaking to know that this had happened to such an innocent girl.

"He hurt her Lucy, used her…" he mumbled against her lavender dress.

"Lahar, maybe you should stop. I don't think this is helping you."

He shook his head, "I owe it to her to know."

Lucy kissed the top of his head, "do you want me to stay?"

Lahar nodded as he let go of her thin waist and she carefully dabbed a tissue to his wet cheeks. Lucy didn't say anything, but he could see her eyes darting to the open journal entry in his lap. He watched her lips pull down in a frown before she looked back into his eyes and tried to correct her features to be there for him.

"I know, it's disturbing," he said.

"I don't think there's a good word for what that was," she took a seat on his mother's bed and Lahar wheeled backwards to sit next to her, after a fashion. "Lahar, I'll just sit here and try to not read over your shoulder."

"I appreciate that Lucy, but if you do it's fine. I don't ever want there to be a secret between us."

Lucy pursed her lips, "this isn't your secret, this belongs to her. This is her story and I want to respect that."

Lahar nodded, "thank you," he said before he put on his glasses and flipped to the next entry.

He read through a few more entries before getting to the last one. Each subsequent entry was more of the same, his mother no longer medicated and that scum bag talking about angel magic to have sex with her. Lahar put the book down again when he read one passage that talked about having her meet other angels and performing magic with them.

"This creature was just sick," he whispered. Lucy said nothing as she sat on the bed looking at the small shelf of knick knacks. Lahar saw the small tear quietly race down her cheek and knew she had been reading along with him. He admired her ability to say nothing and just endure this with him. "Lucy, I'm almost finished, how about that dinner?"

She let out a sigh of relief, "alright. Something light I think." Lucy got off the bed and corrected her lavender sundress before exiting the room. Lahar breathed in the few traces of her strawberry scent to gain strength before he finished the last entry.

_June 8 th Last Day of School _

_I'm going to have an angel! I'm pregnant, that means the demons are going to come for me more. Mr. Cradiel said that means we have to leave town. We have to run far away and have the baby in secret. I am packing my bag tonight and will slip out after my parents go to bed. So far, they don't know and one day I'm going to send them a postcard, when the war is over, and my little angel baby is safe. _

_I hope it's a boy, angel magic hurts if your girl and I want a little boy that looks like his beautiful father. _

_I hope he calls me mama and that he can fight all the demons. We are going to win this war! _

Lahar closed the book and put it back under the pillow, he thought it was an odd place for a diary and why hadn't his grandparents found it earlier. There wasn't a lock on it, and it would seem odd they didn't track her "stories." He pursed his lips and wheeled out of his mother's room, turning off the light and shutting the door.

This didn't make sense to him and he headed for the kitchen where he saw Lucy moving around as she put together more of a snack than a proper meal. Lahar was grateful for that; he didn't think he could handle anything too heavy.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked as she looked up from the platter of fruits and cheeses.

"It doesn't make sense. How did Nana and Papa not know? She didn't hide the diary very well. It wasn't locked and she wrote candidly about the entire grooming practices of that monster."

"Maybe she hid the diary in a different spot back then and they only found it after she was hospitalized."

"That's possible, her last journal entry was her just finding she was pregnant and was planning to run away. I wonder…" Lahar turned around in his wheelchair and started heading towards his grandparents' room. He wanted to search through the locked small file cabinet attached to Papa's writing desk.

At this point he needed to know the rest of the story and since he never went through his grandparents' papers before, he might as well do it now. He only hoped that it was here and not part of the things he had discarded after they died.

He used a simple unlocking rune on the brass lock and slowly pulled the wooden drawer. There were plenty of files in there, neatly organized in hanging folders. He saw one marked Hypatia and pulled out the thick folder.

The first thing he noticed was his Papa's neat handwriting on the outside.

_Lahar, _

_If you are reading this, odds are you found your mother's journal. We left that in a spot for you to find it easy so you could have all the answers you wanted about her. This file should complete the rest of the story. _

_We never wanted to hide anything from you and knew one day you would finally ask questions about her and her life. I wish Nana and I were stronger and smarter people for her, but we failed, and you should know about our mistakes too. _

_Please don't hate her or us. I am sorry. _

_-Papa _

He teared up again, "no, Papa I don't hate you or Nana." This one little note had shown him the pain and love that his grandparents had carried. The conflict they held inside of themselves for years while they tried to raise him and mourn their own loss.

He took the file and went over to the bed, getting out of his wheelchair and propping himself up against the red wood headboard. His legs were cooperating with him and he barely paid attention to anything outside of opening the file and seeing the first page. It was the psychiatrist's notes about his mother.

* * *

Lucy finished up the snacks, she made up a separate plate for Lahar and set it along with water on a bed tray. She figured it best to leave him alone today, let him have his space. She looked at the colorful assortment of fruits and smiled as she thought about the comics she read today.

_The Mysterium _was full of intrigue and life lessons about complicated issues. Everything from making the best choices with what you know. Living within your own moral code and the internal battles of being human. She had laughed and cried, jumped at moments and felt relief when things worked out. It was an emotional rollercoaster and she had never realized that comic books could be as deep as literature.

Lucas the Morgan was very much like Lahar, the two men complicated and steadfast. Yet each would go through not just their personal Hell but Hell itself to keep the person they loved safe. Unlike Lahar, Lucas never told Mia that he loved her. He only showed it in the end when he walked into the dimensional rift to sacrifice his own life to protect her and the people of Psicabel City. That last page of the book had Lucy crying, the way the artist drew the expressions and that final kiss before he left…

She sighed, it was the perfect ending to such a story, and she wondered what became of Lucas when he went through the rift. Lucy wondered if Jack had more story notes, hidden somewhere. Maybe an unfinished manuscript or something. Later she would ask Lahar if it would be okay to go through Jack's files and find out.

Lucy picked up the white enameled tray and slowly started heading towards the bedroom. At the very least she didn't want to disturb Lahar and even considered sleeping on the couch or in his old room tonight to give him space. Though she should ask him first, just to see what he emotionally needed right now.

Even the couple glimpses she gave to Hypatia's journal had her in tears and she couldn't imagine what he was feeling having read the entire thing. Lucy didn't know if this was helping him or hurting him more. He looked so broken but determined to finish knowing his mother's story.

She didn't think she could handle that if the situation was reversed and it gave her a bit more respect for her Captain. Lucy saw the cracked open door and pushed it gently, as she looked up from the tray, she promptly dropped it as she looked into the room.

Lahar was pacing at the edge of the bed, laying out sheets of paper as he went through each one. The noise startled both and Lucy stepped over the mess as she walked up to him.

"Captain…" she whispered as he paused and looked down.

"Oh," he whispered as he looked at her and took a step before crashing down to one knee. Lucy knelt next to him and Lahar struggled for a moment before taking her hand. He gave her a silent nod and very carefully they slowly rose together. "I wasn't aware."

Lucy put her hands against his chest, feeling the thin cotton of his navy button-down shirt and looked into his amethyst eyes. "How?"

Lahar kissed her forehead, "because Lucy I think I finally got it. It was all right here. I'm putting the clues together to finish the story and I see it all now. I know what I did wrong and I know what broke my legs."

Lucy looked over the bed seeing a mix of medical reports, newspaper clippings, school papers, and handwritten torn journal pages. To her this didn't make sense, "what did you see?"

Lahar held her, "that I can't run from my own problems. That I need to listen to my own mental needs closer and I need to do the one thing my mother could not do," he grimaced and quickly grabbed his thigh to massage it. Lahar sat at the edge of the bed on top of the newspaper clippings. "I need to talk openly and honestly to someone, not bottle it inside and run away. That I can be whole again and it's okay to take a break and get help and not give into the traps she did and hide it any 's why my legs wouldn't work, because I was ignoring my problems out of fear of labels."

"Is that what happened to her?" Lucy asked as she looked over at the tray of spilled food and drink, knowing she had to clean that up but not wanting to stop Lahar in his moment of having a mental realization.

He nodded and started stretching his leg out as he continued to rub it. Lucy knelt on the floor and took his white sock covered foot and started massaging it. "Thank you." She smiled as she saw his toes wiggle and very gently worked his arch with her thumbs.

Lahar reached to his left and grabbed a piece of paper, "the notes in her journal and the shrink reports match up. The psychiatrist knew she was lying to him and hiding something, it wasn't until she became pregnant and had a full psychotic break that they found her."

"Found her?" Lucy asked as she worked her way up to his ankle and Lahar hissed, "sorry."

"No, don't be. The pain is amazing, it means I'm feeling again." Lucy looked at him, she had never seen him looking so happy as if all the weight on his very soul had been lifted and he was now free.

"Okay, what happened?" she asked, thinking that right now Lahar might only be doing so well because he was outside of his own headspace and unraveling the mystery of his mother might be what was keeping him standing, literally.

"She ran away with her teacher, after three weeks she wandered into a store to buy supplies. The clerk recognized her from the missing labels on milk cartons. He called the Rune Knights and then talked to her till they arrived. In the report he said that she was convinced there was a war between angels and demons and humans were in the middle of it. That she had to have the angel baby to help win the war and had to help the angels perform their magic. The clerk played along with her and said he had heard about this war and needed to know the intel so he could grab his angels and meet up. When the Rune Knights got there, he explained to her that they were higher level angels and she went with them." Lahar was almost giddy, "that clerk was a med school student and he helped the Rune Knights in handling her."

"I think maybe that day she really did have an angel on her side, just he was a store clerk." Lucy added.

"The Rune Knights put her into a hospital and brought down the pedophile ring. All because that one clerk knew enough to take her seriously and knew to play along just enough with her delusion to save her. Unlike the scum who exploited her mental condition for sex, in his own confession he admitted to using her delusions," Lahar's face fell, "he boasted about how easy she was to manipulate because she was scared to tell anyone the truth about what she was seeing."

"He boasted about raping a teenager?" Lucy was in shock and she dropped his leg resting on her heels in shock.

Lahar let out a harsh breath, "not directly, he boasted about how easy she was to manipulate and how much he loved her. I found his prison record, he wasn't killed by another prisoner, he broke into the janitorial closet and drank a gallon of drain cleaner. They found a pile of letters written to my mother but never mailed. He was deranged Lucy, had himself convinced that their love was real and not a sin."

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Lahar stroked her cheek, "I will be, because I have you and I know what I have to do. How I came into this world was sick and twisted but I will not leave the world the same way."

"What can I do?" she asked, and Lahar smiled at her.

"Help me write my mother's story. Help me write all this pain to help other people who might be scared to admit they need help know that it's okay. That it can be okay," he took her hand and gently pulled, Lucy got the hint and straddled his lap, looking into his eyes. Lahar kissed her knuckles, "have I thanked you enough today?"

"I didn't do anything," Lucy whispered, feeling a bit of heat on her cheeks because she spent most of the day lounging around and reading comic books.

"You did everything, and I am grateful you answered that ad. I wouldn't be here and seeing a new path in life without you. I love you so very much Miss Heartfilia." His voice was soft and Lucy could feel every bit of naked emotion in that statement, she wanted to cry at how beautiful Lahar was when he was emotionally bare to her.

"Love you too, Captain."


	9. Wholeness

Lucy adjusted her fluffy navy towel around her while she stood at the edge of the bed and eyed the multiple wrapped boxes. Lahar had given her very few details, only that she was to shower and then open the boxes. She chewed her bottom lip and eyed the largest box adorned with a shimmery pink bow.

She reached out with trembling fingers and gently pulled at the ribbon, watching the bow collapse. It reminded her of Lahar, this beautiful man who was a complex web of knots waiting to unravel.

And he did unravel.

It was beautiful.

It was painful.

Lucy let out a breath as she thought of the last couple weeks. Everything changed the day he read his mother's journal and found the missing story of his life. They worked hard to tell Hypatia's story and had gone through reams of paper in crafting the tale with every bit of clinical coldness and the warmth that could only come from humanizing the mental illness.

No one else would ever know her story, it was as much for Lahar as it was for the memories of his family. She'd cried beside him and sometimes for him. She'd seen him express a gamut of emotions as he walked down a mental gauntlet and fought for each step.

The ending of the story was tricky because it wasn't Hypatia's ending, it was Lahar's. He could now walk with a cane and embraced his shrink more openly and took more time for himself. Lahar had gone back to work but only part time as they concentrated on this important project. He'd smiled more often, relaxed, and found a new sense of inner peace that opened him to her.

It was like watching the universe be born.

Lucy lifted the top and peeled back the blue tissue to reveal a beautiful golden orange dress. The color reminded her of the sunrise over Sky Lake and she smiled at it's meaning. She worked through the next boxes, a pair of golden high stiletto heels with delicate ankle straps and deep purple lacy lingerie. It was beautiful and she let out a contented sigh as she let the towel fall and slowly began to get dressed.

Part of her worried that the lingerie would show through under the dress but as she stood in front of the mirror, she saw the whole picture come together. Those small dark accents made her look as if she was wrapped up in a sunrise, the bits of dark, the last bits of night fading away and tops of fluffy clouds that would soon be all white. It was symbolic and her heart raced in her chest at the meaning of all of it.

She looked over at the small clock on the nightstand and knew she needed to get hair and makeup done. Lucy summoned Cancer to help her and sat back with her faithful spirit as she waited for her Captain to come home.

* * *

It was his final stop and Lahar put his prized car into park at the end of the parking lot. Much more unlikely to get a fender bender or a scratch on it, if he parked away from where everyone else did. He grabbed his cane, his grandmother's cane to be precise, before he exited the vehicle. The cool grey marble handle felt comfortable in his hand and he was not embarrassed to be seen using it.

Not like how he had felt in his wheelchair for all those months. Some people looked at him sympathetically or opened doors for him, but it wasn't the same as those looks when he had to use a ramp or needed extra space.

He was also much more emotionally equipped to handle those looks and small comments. It had all been thanks to Lucy and her devotion to him. Lahar could spend a million years with her and it would never be enough time to express his gratitude to her. The only hope was that tonight, he could at least imprint everything his soul was feeling unto her.

Lahar had been constructing this night for at least a week, trying to hide the extra details from Lucy was difficult. He looked up at the burgundy awning over the front window and took note of the beautiful gold lettering upon it, _All that Glitters_. He pulled the door open, hearing the quiet jingle of the golden bells on it before it stepped into the small jewelry shop.

An elder man came out from the back and gave him a broad smile, "Mr. Morrigan, was just doing the final cleaning on your order."

"Thank you, Harry," he said with a small nod as he walked up to the only and aging register in the small space.

"Big night tonight?" he asked as he thumbed through a small stack of carbon yellow receipts.

"Yes, I appreciate your help," he said, being polite and trying to not push the man to hurry. Lahar leaned on his cane as he used his free hand to pull out his wallet.

"My pleasure, anything for Jack's grandkid," Harry replied as he pulled out the receipt and pursed his lips. "Hmmm, there is a small problem here."

Lahar's eyes widened for a moment as he looked at the man whose wrinkles became a bit more pronounced on his forehead. "Problem?"

The old man looked up and smiled, "why, yes. It says zero in the amount."

Lahar let out a breath, "you don't have to do that Harry."

He shrugged, "it's not a problem, little reinforcing on the prongs and a cleaning. I think your grandparents would be proud that you are using their wedding rings."

"Again, thank you."

Lahar waited as the old man returned to the back room and came out in a few minutes with a small black velvet box. He took the box and thanked the jeweler before leaving. He stepped outside and flipped open the box, smiling as he saw the plain gold band and the small diamond ring next to it. The set was simple which worked well for him and for most importantly for Lucy. It was always the little things with her.

The return trip home was quiet, Lahar was lost in his thoughts. He was excited and nervous about tonight. It would be the first time he would see Lucy in his hidden world. It would also be a big test for both of them emotionally. For a moment he worried if this was rushed, but he also recalled many interesting things Lucy had said about time.

He also recalled that he had lost years because he treaded too lightly. All of this, minus the spinal injury, could have been his years ago if he had summoned the courage to say something. Say anything.

He pulled into the driveway, leaving the Ashton Martin outside, as he would only be here for a few minutes. Lahar tucked the box into his pocket and exited the vehicle for his – no, their – home. He grabbed the mail before opening the door and enjoyed the fact he could do that now.

"Lucy," he called out as he shut the front door.

"In my room," she replied.

"Stay there for a few more minutes."

"Alright," Lahar smiled at her easy acceptance. He got into his white simplistic bathroom and leaned the cane against the vanity.

It took him a few minutes to restyle his hair, putting it down into a low pony tail and leaving his bangs in their usual side swept fashion. He debated using his contacts, but since he would not be wearing a mask tonight, he kept his glasses on. Normally he was very worried about being recognized, but not anymore. This was a part of who he was and if people could not handle him, that was their own issue.

Lahar changed his clothes, putting on a skin tight light blue spandex turtleneck and white leather pants accented with a brown leather belt. He was grateful he stayed in physical shape, as much as possible, and the pants went on easily. The shirt was tighter than he remembered but then again, his chest and arms had filled out a little due to the wheelchair. He double checked himself in the dressing mirror and smiled.

He grabbed the prepacked black duffel bag, tucked the box into the side pocket and hefted it on his shoulder. Lahar smiled in personal satisfaction; he was starting to feel that sense of wholeness settled over his being. By the end of tonight, he expected to complete this journey and begin the next one with hopefully, a fiancée.

When Lahar knocked on the door, Lucy jumped. She got off the bed and quickly smoothed down her dress as she walked to the simple wooden door. As she opened it, she felt her jaw drop as she appraised her Captain.

His eyes widened as she looked at her, "so beautiful."

She flushed, "thank you."

Lahar reached out and ran his thumb over her cheek, "your makeup is lovely. I can't wait to see it beautifully ruined."

Lucy swallowed and felt her heart rate jack up on her at his admission. It made everything so much more real to her. This was happening, she was going to step fully into his world and put herself completely into his hands. She was going to give him all her trust and see how the pieces truly lined up.

When Lahar talked to her about this, a week ago, she worked diligently with him to set up the scenario and rules. He wanted her to measure it carefully and she wanted to run full speed into his world. It was a beautiful several hours of conversation, one that left her empowered and showed how much he loved her.

As Lahar had explained to her, she had all the power before and after play. She dictated what she needed and what her limits were. All of that with no argument, no laughs, and a few select questions from Lahar. He took his sexual needs with the same ruthless seriousness as he approached most of his life. Lucy, kind of appreciated that and she loved how creative he was inside of a sturdy framework.

It almost didn't click into her head that she had been so lost in her thoughts that she was now in the car. Classical music played on the speakers as the city blurred by them. Lahar had both hands on the leather and wood wheel, his lips not quite pursed as he operated the pristine car. She looked at him and smiled, a soft hum of appreciation for this night.

"Lucy, I want you to know that at any time, you are free to change your mind."

She shook her head, "after all those hours of planning, nope."

He chuckled as he pulled into a nondescript and almost empty parking lot. Her heart almost jumped into her throat when he parked the vehicle and looked at her. Lahar took her hand and lightly kissed her fingertips. "Alright?"

"Nervous and excited."

He nodded and then quietly got out of the car, Lucy waited and tried to not fidget for him to open her door. No one could ever say her Captain was not a gentleman. She looked at the plain red brick building ahead of her, there was nothing about this place that screamed S&M Dungeon. Then again, she supposed that that was the point. Why shout such a thing to the world and to people who didn't understand.

The door opened and Lahar held out his free hand to her, while leaning on his cane a little. His hand was warm and soft, and she felt a measure of relief and protection as she took it. They walked towards a side entrance; the frosted glass door was only marked with a black heart. Lahar pushed open the door and walked through it easily. Lucy hesitated for a moment.

"Lucy? We can go," he said as he looked at her. The scene wasn't lost on her, he was back to his world and she was taking her first step into it. Would she ever feel so comfortable in her own self to do that? Cross a threshold as if it was just any other door?

Somehow her mind kept cycling between "abandon all hope, ye who enter here," and "the journey of a thousand miles, begins with the first step." She felt conflicted and found her pulse quickening a little and breathing rapid.

Lucy tried to gather herself as Lahar simply waited, his amethyst eyes taking her in as he gently squeezed her fingers. He said nothing, made no further motion and waited with the patience of a saint. Finally, her mind settled on taking that step and she spent a few seconds convincing her feet to move.

"Just breathe, I felt the same way my first time here," Lahar whispered, "again, use your words and we will leave."

Lucy took in a deep breath and gathered her courage before she pulled her dress up a little and stepped into a whole new world. Lahar brought her fingers up to his lips, "good girl."

"Thank you," she said as he led her down a beautifully decorated red hallway.

There was nothing in her mind that said she shouldn't expect this place to look high class. This was a level of beauty she wasn't prepared for. Stunning paintings on the walls of various erotic scenes or lovers. Soft lamps above that casted a comforting warmth over everything and a light scent of floral something in the air. Lucy thought it might be a mix of lavender and jasmine, it was soothing to her sense of smell and with her steadfast Captain she relaxed a bit more with each step.

Lahar navigated the building and she started noticing doors, simply decorated with a number in gold against a deep oak. What else was surprising was that she couldn't hear anything or smell anything beyond the floral. She took comfort in the total privacy afforded by this club.

He stopped before a door and looked at her, she understood the unsaid question and could only nod. Lahar opened the door and stepped to the side, letting her in first. As she walked into the room, she was stunned at its class.

Lucy expected to see grey brick walls and a rubber floor or something but not this. The room looked like a Victorian bedroom with minor adjustments to it. There was a small fireplace with a fire already lit, a beautiful bed beside it draped in fine navy and gold bedspreads. There was a small desk in the corner with an open journal and a black feather quill in a gold vial. Additionally was a plush looking spanking bench, a large light oak table with a shiny bronze ring bolted to it. On the ceiling were several hooks, some with brass chains already attached and the floor had several loops bolted to it.

Lahar shut the door which startled her for a moment, "explore the room a little, while I set up."

Lucy nodded and looked over at the far wall noticing ceiling to floor drapes, she touched the heavy velvet cloth and noticed her fingers trembling. She heard the crackle of the fireplace and the sound of Lahar unzipping the bag. She looked over her shoulder and noticed how he was setting up, carefully putting their agreed upon toys on a small wheeled golden cart.

She also noticed that his eyes darkened in color as his face shifted. He looked sterner and his stance shifted into one of ownership. There was also a slight upward curl to his lips and she began to feel that this was his world. He looked dazzling, almost larger than life as he straightened the position of the riding crop.

Lucy sighed as she ran her fingers over the warm wood table, it was smooth almost buttery soft and polished enough to let her see her own reflection. She stared at herself, almost ready to start questioning what she was doing here when Lahar finally spoke.

"Lucy," he said her name and she looked up, almost losing her balance to look at him.

Lahar had taken off his shirt and let his hair loose from the pony tail, she could see his skin subtly glinting in the firelight. He held a pair of leather cuff manacles in his elegant hands and stood with his back straight and feet apart. His cane resting against the golden cart that had their toys.

She had never seen him look so in control and animalistic in the same shot. Lucy swallowed the thick saliva in her mouth and felt a bead of sweat race down the side of her face.

"We will be using the table tonight. This is going to require you to be bent over for a period of time. I need you to tell me if you back or hips feel too much discomfort."

"Yes, Captain," she said.

"You will also need to balance in those shoes for a while. Can you handle that?"

Lucy pursed her lips; the heels were a little higher and thinner than she was used to and so far, she hadn't had an issue walking, but Lahar had been holding her hand the entire time. She also knew that she had to be completely honest and could say, "I don't know."

He nodded, "undo the buckles on them. If I see you swaying too much, it will be easier to remove them without breaking the scene."

"Yes, Captain." Lucy moved to the spanking bench and sat upon the cushion to carefully undo the straps.

"There is another dom and sub in the room across from us, we will be able to watch them, but they cannot see us," the corner of his mouth lifted, "until I change that."

"Will you…" she started to ask, "warn me?"

He nodded, "no. This is part of my area. You can easily stop everything with the use of your safe words or gesture."

"O-okay," Lucy stood up and felt her knees weakening.

Lahar put down the manacles and moved the cart next to the table. She noticed how he walked slowly, a decent limp in his gait but it didn't stop him from projecting his ownership of the room and her. He took her hand and led her to the front of the table. They leaned against it before he instructed her to sit on it.

He moved across the room and after a minute came back with a small crystal glass with some liquid in it. Lucy smiled as he offered it to her and she took a sniff, it was a very warm scotch. Lahar leaned against the table and suddenly the curtain began to move.

Her eyes went wide as she looked into the next room, it was dimly lit and done in a different style. It was still elegant but much more minimalistic. There was an opulent chair almost dead center of the room with a man in an elegant three-piece suit comfortably reading in it. Lucy noticed that under his feet was another man, almost completely naked with a collar around his neck, a tail coming up from his ass and what looked like cat ears on his head.

"This is pet play, the dom is an expert at it and his submissive is also his husband. I figured this might be interesting to watch for it's structure and beauty," his hand rested on her knee.

The man in the chair looked over his book and adjusted his feet on the back of his submissive. Lucy slid a look to Lahar, "there's a small light on the other side that lets them know they are being watched. He's acknowledging it. Though he will still only play when it suits him."

Lucy took a sip of her scotch as she watched the scene, feeling like she was watching porn. Lahar drew light circles on her knee as she watched the men. The dom took his feet off his sub and his sub changed position to sit between the man's legs, carefully taking a leg into his lap and she assumed he was massaging it.

The power dynamic was amazing and so far, she had not seen the dom say one word. Instead he seemed so aloof as if he had no cares in the world, but she knew that he had rules. Lahar had explained that to her and as she took another sip of her drink, she felt Lahar's hand rise up her leg as his other one reached behind her for the back zipper.

He tugged down the zipper and ran his fingers up her back, she shivered at the touch, feeling chills and heat racing up her spine at the same time. Her eyes were still fixated on the pair in the other room. The man in the chair moved his mouth but she couldn't hear anything. Instead she saw the submissive, pull his hands back suddenly as the dom put his book down with one hand and grabbed the back of the sub's head.

She sucked in a breath at the speed at which the dom changed from aloof and reading to domination. The tail started to twitch as she could barely see the sub's mouth open and his eyes wide at the sensation. Lahar kissed her shoulder as he gently pressed his hand against her inner thigh to open her legs a little.

"Stand up for a second," Lahar commanded, and Lucy did, noticing at how her dress slipped off her body with ease. "Sit back again and spread your legs."

She did, careful to not drop her glass. Quietly Lahar slid closer to her and wrapped his arm behind her before using his hands to cup her breasts over the lacy purple bra. Lucy let out a sigh as she polished off the scotch and watched the men.

The sub's back was shaking as his hands went up the smooth suit pants of his master. For a second, she locked eyes with the dom and though he couldn't see her, she felt almost connected to him. His face was stern, jaw tight and eyes narrowed slightly before he dropped his gaze and looked at his submissive who was quivering at his feet.

Lahar pinched her nipples and she gasped, turning her head to look at him. "Have you forgotten who your Master is?"

"N-no, Captain," she stammered as she felt heat rise upon her cheeks. She had been caught losing herself under someone else's power.

Lahar deftly took off her bra and leaned down, he took her exposed nipple into his mouth and bit, she mewled. Liquid heat went straight through her body and she could feel her pussy begin to moisten. He bit again while pinching the other one, her head dropped back, and she let out a moan.

Lahar stood up and placed himself in front of her, his hand cupped her sex as his other one took a hold of her head by the ponytail. "I expect you to focus. This is mine, not his." His voice was low, guttural and commanding.

"Yours, Captain."

He kissed her lightly, "good girl." Lahar stepped back and too her small wrists in his hand, pulling her off the table. They walked around it and he leaned her over it, "grab the ring, Miss Heartfilia."

Lucy trembled as she reached out for the ring, he adjusted her feet to be a bit more than shoulder width apart. The table was cold against her now sore nipples and she could feel Lahar's fingers dancing against her bare backside. He pulled up on her thong, causing the material to rub against her slit and making her bite her bottom lip to try and stifle the sound of pleasure.

Lahar gently pushed down on her lower back, forcing her to arch downwards and expose more of herself to him. "Alright?"

"Yes, Captain," she replied as she tried to balance on the balls of her feet instead of the thin heels.

"Stay," he commanded.

She felt him leave her space and felt the cool air nip at her skin, skin that was starting to goosebump. Lucy watched the men, now seeing that the dom had removed his jacket and was using his silver tie as a blindfold on his submissive. He stood in front of the chair as his sub sat upon his bare heels, the tail no longer moving and his skin shimmering in sweat.

Lucy felt Lahar's lean form on top of her as he silently put the leather manacles around her wrists. He anchored the chain to the ring, "stand."

Lucy stood up, feeling her back press against his chest as his fingers trailed down her stomach. She leaned against him a little more as all he did was slowly tease her with his fingers, not bothering to touch her where she was aching the most.

"I have a present for you, Miss Heartfilia. Do you want it?" he asked as he cupped her breasts again and ran his thumbs over her nipples. She could feel the significant leather clad erection press against her ass.

"Yes, Captain," she managed as she watched the submissive take his dom into his mouth. The erotic scene across the glass was stimulating her, but not nearly as much as Lahar's presence.

Lahar came back to her and this time he dangled a pink ribbon with a diamond ring tied to it. Lucy felt tears gather at the edges of her eyes as she took in a sudden breath.

"Do you know what this means?"

"Yes, Captain."

"You will hold this in your mouth and if you can handle my punishment of you for daring to think of another man in my presence. I will take that as you agreeing to be mine, forever."

Lucy looked over her shoulder and met Lahar's gaze, she could see the subtle smile to him. She also noticed that he was holding his breath and his Adam's apple bobbed as he waited for her answer.

"Please, Captain, I want to be yours," she managed, and he nodded before holding the ribbon taunt in his hands and she leaned forward to bite it. Lucy was nervous and locked her jaw, she didn't want to drop this ring. She wanted him to know how serious she was about him and their life. Lahar also handed her a small yellow ball; she could drop that as their safe gesture if anything went wrong.

Lahar pressed his hand between her shoulder blades, and she leaned forward, making sure to stick her bare ass out for him. He gave a slight hum of approval as she adjusted to the balls of her feet. His fingers gliding down her back before he stepped away again.

Lucy watched the scene ahead of her, watched the dom control his submissive and use his mouth as a toy. What captivated her was that the dom didn't look angry while his hips snapped and movements were brutal, no, he looked happy. The submissive had his eyes shut and held onto the bare thighs of his master as if he was desperately afraid to let go.

Her thoughts were broken when she felt the feather kisses of leather tap against her upper thigh. Lucy sucked in a breath through her nose and closed her eyes, she tensed her body, feeling her muscles lock from her shoulders down to her calves.

"Relax, Miss Heartfilia," Lahar whispered as he ran his fingers between her legs, barely teasing her damp thong. "You're already this wet," he mused as he teased her, and she squeezed the ball in her hand for support. Lucy tried to moan around the ribbon in her mouth as his fingers were replaced with the soft taps of the riding crop's end to her wet flesh.

Lucy willed her body to relax, still aware of the ribbon in her mouth and the ball in her hand. Her eyes started to go heavy at the now almost comforting rhythm of Lahar's ministrations. He was doing enough to keep her fire lit but not stoke it any higher, it was surreal at just how close to the edge of passion she was standing.

"Good girl," he said as he patted her bare ass and she relaxed, closing her eyes for a second and feeling everything around her. It all felt so heightened in this moment of anticipation and she found herself almost begging for him to start.

"I believe twelve is an appropriate number. Can you handle that, Miss Heartfilia?"

She nodded and knocked on the table twice, it was their other gesture. One knock for no and two for yes if she was in a position to not speak. Which she was because Lucy was not dropping the ribbon.

She heard a whistle in the air and then suddenly felt the crack against her left butt cheek. She bit harder on the ribbon at the sting and felt her body jerk suddenly form the connect. Lahar ran his fingers over the stinging area, "that's one."

He gently soothed her down before she heard that whistle again and a bit of pain erupted across her other side. "Two," Lahar said before she gently blew a small stream of air across the inflamed skin.

Lucy squeezed the ball harder and almost gasped at the third strike. She felt her eyes roll up, blurring the scene of the two men ahead of her. The men were both in the chair as the submissive lost the tail and was now being fucked.

She blinked as tears rolled down her cheeks and the fourth slap hit her across her upper thighs. Lucy tensed and bounced at the contact, Lahar wrapped his arm around her waist and held her for a moment.

"Careful Miss Heartfilia," he whispered, "are you alright to continue?"

Lucy nodded and knocked twice on the table, "understood."

She barely felt the next several whips, the pain was blossoming into something else, pure pleasure. Instead of jumping at each sting, she was now pushing back, all but demanding more from him. Her skin tingled in anticipation and she felt almost ready to come out of her skin and evolve into a being of pure light. Lucy turned her head and rested it on the table, no longer caring to watch the other show, she was in her own personal Heaven and enjoying the cool table against her cheek.

"Now, now, head up, eyes forward, Miss Heartfilia. This is my room," he pulled her pony tail and forced her head up to look ahead. The men were sitting in the chair, the submissive curled up in his dom's lap, lightly licking his neck like a good kitten. The dom was staring ahead and smiling, an all telling smile that made Lucy's eyes widen.

She felt her mouth begin to open at the realization that Lahar was letting them watch. Lucy felt the ribbon begin to slip and quickly shut her mouth, startling herself at almost dropping the ring. She shivered, fearful that she almost ruined this and would disappoint her Captain.

Another whistle and more pain that radiated from the sting, "nine". This time she felt something cold against her overly heated flesh. She realized it was ice and found her hips swirling to enjoy the cool wetness of the cube that was soothing her.

"Three more Miss Heartfilia. Are you giving them a good show?" he asked, and she knocked once. "Then we shall have to fix that."

Lucy didn't know what he meant by that and she wasn't even if her answer made sense. She felt Lahar curl his fingers under her thong and rip the material in a single pull. The friction against her clit had her almost crying out and instead all she could do was grit her teeth and let out some kind of animalistic growl.

"Did you almost cum?" Lahar asked as something hard and smooth teased at her entrance.

She knocked twice and Lahar shoved the item into her. Lucy almost opened her mouth again and struggled against her chains, squeezing the hell out of her ball in the process. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire, her knees were growing weak and her ankles were trembling.

She felt the item stretch her out and something pressed against her throbbing clit. Lahar hummed again and before she knew it Lucy felt a subtle vibration coming from the toy inside of her. Lucy made another sound from deep within her throat as her hips began to buck against the item.

She felt her blood start to turn into heated lava and tears rolling down her cheeks as she started breathing rapidly through her nose. She was so close, ready to orgasm and have a bit of relief.

The vibrator stopped and she was greeted with another crack of the riding crop, on her upper thighs this time.

"Ten."

Lahar calmed her with feather light touches of his fingers and her back dipped down before the vibrator started again. Her eyes went wide, lips parted but her teeth stayed closed as drool ran down her chin. She let out a strange garbled whine, finding it hard to make anything that sounded human without being able to properly open her mouth.

She was ready to jump out of her shoes, drool and tears leaked down her face, pooling on the table as Lahar grabbed her ponytail and pulled her head back. His eyes were dark and heavy as he stuck his tongue out and licked up her tears.

"God you are so beautiful," he whispered. Lucy could only reply with a strange whine, she was trying to beg him to let her cum for him. "Almost finished," he said as the vibrator stopped, and she felt like she could breathe again.

Another whistle of the crop as it hit her slightly above her tailbone and Lucy's mouth flew open, she closed it quickly but now barely had any ribbon in her mouth. She was holding on to it by the barest scrap of the ribbon. She started sniffling, panic ran over her, and she dropped the ball.

Lahar moved around the table and pushed a button, the curtains closed, and he gently pulled the ribbon out of her mouth. "Lucy, what happened?"

"I-I almost lost the ribbon," she stammered and then began to cry, uttering her apologies to Lahar. He said nothing as he uncuffed her and took her to the bed. He held her on his lap and stroked her hair.

"Oh God, I-I'm sorry, I just…" she could barely breathe and cling onto his sweaty skin.

"Lucy, ssshhh," he whispered before kissing her forehead, "this is my fault. It was too much pressure. It's alright. This is only your first time. I expected too much, and I am so very sorry my precious girl."

"I-I want," – hiccup – "to marry," – hiccup – "y-you."

Lahar held her close and kept placing gentle kisses to her as his hands roamed over her body, lightly rubbing her skin and trying to keep her warm.

"I know you do, it's okay Lucy. You did so well for your first time. I couldn't be prouder of you. I love you, so very much." He said, "here let's get you under the covers and some juice. Okay?"

She shook her head, "no, I w-want you. I w-want…"

Lahar said nothing as he removed the ribbon from the ring and slipped it on her finger. Lucy stared at him and blinked before she stared at the ring again. "Does that help?" he asked.

Lucy nodded and he kissed her gently, "I knew you were going to say yes and again I'm sorry for the extra pressure."

She stayed curled up against him and felt him adjust slightly under her, his erection was not lost on Lucy. Her ass still felt inflamed and she moved slightly in his lap. Lahar hissed as his cock twitched, he held her tight, "it's okay Lucy, this is about you."

"Captain," she whispered before she took a deep breath and pulled herself from his hold. She got on her knees, enjoying the plush bed under them and gently reached out to touch his beautifully carved chest. "I want you to take me, please."

He sat up and removed his glasses, putting them on the small table, "be certain."

She nodded and then turned around on her knees before she leaned forward, offering herself to him. "Please, my Captain." Lucy was aching with need and could feel her own wetness run down her legs and pool at the top of her thigh highs.

Lahar growled and she could hear the rustling of him removing those gorgeous white leather pants. She had to admit, she never thought he could look so stunning in leather. Lucy felt him come up behind her, the head of his cock being moved to tease at her greedy pussy.

She tried to push back against him, and he pulled her hair slightly, "just because I gave into your one demand doesn't mean you are in charge, Miss Heartfilia."

"Yes, Captain," she replied before burying her head into the bedspread.

She relaxed and tried to wait patiently but found herself whining as he continued to tease. Lucy was breathing hard as she fists the material and forcing herself to hold as still as possible. The tension and anticipation were turning her brain to mush and all she could think of was her needs.

Lahar slowly entered her, she could feel the burn of her channel struggling to take him and she mewled. His response was a long deep groan until his hips were flush with her abused ass. Lahar wound her hair around his hand as his other one reached around and played with her nipple, tugging it slightly.

They held like this for a minute, as the fireplace continued to crackle and their breathing slowed. Lucy's eyes fluttered and her back dipped low again, it changed the angle of his cock inside of her and that was when he moved.

Lahar didn't bother to start slowly or timidly, no he was out to dominate her with each thrust. Long and harsh he pistoned into her body as he yanked on her hair. Lucy cried and whined into the sheets, barely forming words and losing all sense of her own humanity.

"Tight, hot, mine. Your pussy is my favorite toy." Lahar growled as he wrenched on her hair and pulled her up.

His hand dropped from her nipple as he shuffled in the bed to widen her knees apart. He started playing with her clit, running his fingers over it in slow circles. A direct opposite of his punishing thrusts.

"Ca-Captain, please…"

"Not yet," he growled as he bit the top of her ear and Lucy cried out as the coil in her body wound tighter.

She was shaking, sweat pouring out of her as he pounded freely into her. The bed was smashing into the wall and his body slapping against hers had all the stinging burn of the crop reigniting through her. Lucy started to feel giddy, her body being flooded with endorphins, creating a new type of high she had never experienced.

"Captain, please, God let me cum for you," she begged. He kept pounding into her and she could barely make sense of the room anymore. All she could focus on was his touch and the way he moved inside of her.

"Who do you belong to?"

"You, Captain."

He cupped her, "th-this, this is mine?"

"Yes, all of me." She replied her breathing feeling rushed and heart hammering in her chest. She was slowly losing her own battle wits and was ready to orgasm at any second. She bit her lip, squeezed her eyes shut as her fingers dug into his thighs.

"Then cum," he said, and she did.

Lucy let go and let the coil inside of her release, she felt as if her body had exploded. Bursts of white flashed behind her shut eyes as she let out a long cry of ecstasy. Her body pulsated, channel contracting and releasing violently around him as he continued to move.

"There…nnngh… yes," he said before he rode out his own release inside of her.

Lahar let her go and she fell forward, Lahar held her hips and slowly pulsed before he started to shake and pulled out. They were both breathing, and he curled up beside her, she was shaking violently in his arms and he kissed her forehead.

"Sleep now, it's alright." Lucy closed her eyes and shut down.

* * *

Lahar added more wood to the small fire and gently wiped down Lucy's shaking body. She had done so much for her first time and he could not have been prouder of her. He smiled as he saw the ring sparkle on her finger.

He climbed into the bed with her and she curled into him, mumbling her love for him and Lahar held her tight. They had the room for the entire night and so he didn't have to care about anything. Normally he'd be more time conscious but not with her first time. It was odd for him to be here with his fiancée instead of a random sub but he liked it better this way.

Lahar looked around the room and smiled at the after images played in his mind of Lucy bent over the table. He held her tight, enjoying this feeling all over his very soul.

Wholeness.

_Fin._

* * *

_And that is the end. This story went on further than I originally thought and I'm glad it did. However, like any good story it does have an end and we are now at it. I hope you enjoyed the time spent reading it._

_Stay safe, stay healthy. _


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